An Alabama man was arrested and charged this week detonateed The US Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that an explosive device was found in front of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office at the end of February.
Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert, 26, of Irondale was charged with malicious use of an explosive and possession of an unregistered destructive device, the Justice Department said.
The explosion It happened in front of Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office around 3:42 a.m. on February 24. No injuries or major damage were reported.
“This device had the characteristics of an IED, and Calvert added a significant number of nails and other shrapnel to increase its destructive capacity,” the U.S. attorney’s office said in an arrest warrant Wednesday, using the improvised explosive device’s initiator.
The memo claims law enforcement found the suspect had placed stickers “promoting various political ideologies” on government buildings on the night of the blast, including antifa, anti-police, and anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement sentiment.
Calvert expressed his “belief that violence should be directed against the government” and described his inability to control his violent, aggressive impulses, the report said.
Court documents revealed a month-long investigation that involved using video surveillance to track the suspect’s whereabouts on the night of the crime, matching the suspect’s vehicle to license plate reader data, social media, analyzing the suspect’s gait and demeanor, and analyzing the explosive device. .
The explosion happened a day later state attorney general’s office Marshall said he does not plan to prosecute IVF providers or families after the controversial Alabama Supreme Court decision. The motivators did not reveal their identity as a suspect.
“My staff and I breathe a collective sigh of relief this morning knowing that this individual has been taken off the streets,” Marshall said. statement Wednesday. “While more information will be released in the coming weeks, I am confident that this was not a random act of violence. We are grateful to our federal and local partners for their assistance in this matter, and we are pleased that the perpetrator is facing federal charges that carry significant prison time.”
If convicted, Calvert could face up to 20 years in prison, with a minimum of five years behind bars, the Justice Department said. One charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years and the other a maximum sentence of 10 years, but the sentences can run concurrently, the Justice Department said.
A Justice Department spokesman said Calvert has been appointed a federal defender. The lawyer could not be immediately reached for comment.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland thanked the FBI and law enforcement partners, saying, “The Department of Justice has zero tolerance for acts of violence that target those who serve the public.”
Public officials face threats at the state and federal level. Last year, the US Capitol Police investigated 8,008 threat assessment cases, about 500 more than the previous year.
According to one report below the federal level, about 43% of state legislators and 18% of local officials faced threats. Brennan Justice Center, a left-leaning think tank that analyzes topics including voting rights, elections and gerrymandering. A survey released in January found that 38% of state legislators said their abuse had increased since taking office, while 16% said it had decreased.
Lawrence Hurley contributed.