Essex County, N.J., Man Sentenced To Five Months In Prison For Transporting Explosive Materials

TRENTON, N.J. – An Essex County, N.J., man was sentenced today to five months in prison for transporting explosive chemicals in a piece of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, pipe to Pennsylvania without a federal license or permit, U. S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Anthony Nicholas Gallo, 20, of North Caldwell, N.J., previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson to an Information charging him with transportation of explosive materials without a license or permit issued by the U.S. Attorney General. Judge Thompson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: 

On Jan. 8, 2012, Gallo went to Pennsylvania and blew up potassium chlorate and magnesium in a PVC pipe, which provided a contained environment for the chemicals to produce a more powerful explosion. The potassium chlorate mixture is considered to be an explosive by the U. S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Thompson sentenced Gallo to three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents, detectives and investigators assigned to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence. The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force comprises law enforcement officers from 30 federal, state and local agencies throughout New Jersey. He also thanked the North Caldwell Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office for their significant contributions to this investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce M. Malliet of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit in Newark.                                                    

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Defense counsel: Anthony Iacullo Esq., Nutley, N.J.