Shelby County Resident Sentenced to 30 Months for Possession of a Destructive Device
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On Friday, September 28, 2012, Alan Lee Heath, age 38, of Harlan, Iowa, was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment for possessing a destructive device. United States District Court Chief Judge James E. Gritzner, also ordered Heath to serve a two-year term of supervised release following incarceration.
On December 18, 2011, Heath was stopped by two Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies after he was seen trespassing at a private residence. When confronted by law enforcement, Heath resisted arrest and had to be physically subdued. A search of his person after arrest located a homemade hand grenade type device, consisting of a plastic cylinder containing gun powder, and wrapped in black electrical tape with 22 caliber rounds taped to the outside of the cylinder. The trigger mechanism consisted of a military style “spoon and pin” triggering device. Additional items were located during the search that were consistent with production of additional similar type devices. On February 22, 2012, Heath entered a guilty plea to possessing a destructive device stemming from his arrest in Harlan, Iowa.
The investigation was conducted by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Fire Marshall’s Office, Shelby County Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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