Randolph County man sentenced for making a destructive device

ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Robert C. Ard, of Elkins, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 24 months incarceration for charge involving a homemade explosive device found in his home, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Ard, age 54, pled guilty to one count of “Making an Unlawful Firearm” in August 2018. Ard admitted to making a firearm, that is a destructive device.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the West Virginia State Police investigated. 

U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.