Pleasant Plains Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Attempting to Sell Bombs

      LITTLE ROCK—A Pleasant Plains man has been sentenced to ten years in prison for possession of an unregistered firearm after attempting to sell pipe bombs. Wayne Riley, 27, was sentenced yesterday afternoon by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.

      In September 2020, officers conducted a home visit at the residence of Darius Balentine in Newport. Balentine was on active supervision, and officers had learned that he was in possession of a firearm. While searching the home, officers located a .380 pistol and two CO2 bottles containing gun powder and roofing nails, equipped with fuses and designed as explosive devices.

      Multiple witnesses confirmed the explosives belonged to Wayne Riley, who had dropped them off at Balentine’s home a few days prior. Investigators obtained text messages in which Riley stated he had ten pipe bombs and wanted to sell them for $100 each or $800 for all ten.

      Riley was indicted in July 2021 and pleaded guilty in June 2022. His codefendant, Balentine, was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm and will be sentenced at a later date. In addition to the sentence of ten years imprisonment, which is the maximum allowed by law, Riley will serve three years of supervised release after his term of incarceration.

      This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Newport Police Department; and the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Crews.

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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

http://www.justice.gov/edar

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