Indiana Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Destructive Devices

COLUMBUS –Andrew Scott Boguslawski, 44, of Moores Hill, Indiana was sentenced in U.S. District Court to serve 24 months in prison for illegally possessing 13 unregistered destructive devices when he was stopped by an Ohio State trooper on January 1, 2014 on Interstate 70 in Madison County, Ohio. Boguslawski was also ordered to remain under court supervision for three years following his time in prison.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Michael Boxler, Special Agent in Charge, Columbus Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Ohio Fire Marshal Larry Flowers, Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Paul Pride and Madison County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen J. Pronai announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge James L. Graham.

Boguslawski pleaded guilty in April to possession of nine fully-assembled unregistered destructive devices and four unregistered destructive devices consisting of component parts, designed and intended for use in conversion into bombs, and from which bombs could be readily assembled. Boguslawski admitted in his plea agreement that he had the component parts to assemble 20 more destructive devices in his Indiana home.

“Boguslawski’s bomb-builder lifestyle presents an extreme danger to the public,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana Peters and Salvador Dominguez told the court prior to sentencing.

A destructive device is an explosive device that is capable of causing property damage and personal injury and/or death to persons near the explosion. Federal law requires that destructive devices be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

Troopers arrested Boguslawski at the scene. He was charged in Madison County on state charges. Those charges have been dismissed. Boguslawski was charged by a federal complaint on March 3, 2014.

U.S. Attorney Stewart and Madison County Prosecuting attorney Pronai commended the cooperative investigation by ATF, the State Fire Marshal, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Columbus Bomb Squad, as well as the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, which participated in the investigation. Stewart and Pronai also commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana Peters and Salvador Dominguez, who prosecuted the case.