Sentencing awaits Army veteran in bogus-bomb case

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — An explosives-trained Army veteran who last year strapped a fake bomb to his body and held police at bay for seven hours is scheduled to be sentenced.

Fifty-two-year-old Roman Conaway of Fairview Heights pleaded guilty in April to federal charges of making false threats to detonate an explosive device and of influencing a federal official by threat.

He was to be sentenced Friday in East St. Louis.

Authorities say that before the standoff at Conaway’s home, he threatened to “start an apocalypse” and a war between Christians and Muslims.

During the standoff, Conaway said explosives were packed in his belt and in three containers on his property.

All of the items turned out to be harmless.