Roane County Man Sentenced to Prison After Pipe Bomb Found

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Joseph David Bailey, 52, of Spencer, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing an unregistered destructive device.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 24, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bailey’s residence and found a completed pipe bomb as well as five unfinished pipe bombs in various stages of completion. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) determined that the completed pipe bomb was a destructive device and that Bailey did not register it with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the ATF and the West Virginia State Police.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-249.

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