San Carlos Graduate at Penn State Arrested for Possession of Bomb-Making Materials (18 US Code 921)

19-year-old  Penn State student and a citizen of Russia (name withheld to protect the anonymity of the accused), even though he says he’s from San Carlos and maintains a residence in Altoona, PA near campus.  He was arrested recently for possession of a bomb and bomb-making materials, suspicion of possession of a weapon of mass destruction, intent to use it, and numerous other unnamed crimes. (18 US Code 921) states that it is illegal for a person to distribute, receive, or possess any kind of explosive materials, especially if that person is not a legal resident of this country.  He could be facing anywhere from 10 to 20 years in federal prison, depending on which particular subsections of the law federal prosecutors deem fit to attempt to convict him of (Chapter 44 of Title 18).

Law enforcement agents in Altoona raided his home after having received a tip off that there were marijuana plants being grown there.  They were surprised to find evidence that bombs were being constructed inside the apartment and that at least one of them was complete. When interviewed by authorities, his college roommate called him a “crazy kid” and another roommate told police that he’d seen him detonate at least 3 small bombs near their apartment.   Neither one of them, however, seem to think that he’s dangerous; he graduated from Carlmont High School in Belmont and his parents, as far as anyone knows, still live there.  Only time will tell whether this is a case of a brilliant teenager trying out a badly advised science experiment or an individual intent on harming other people on a mass scale.