Lindenhurst man accused of making pipe bombs charged in federal court
A Lindenhurst man accused of manufacturing explosive devices in his home has been ordered detained in federal custody.
Michael Suopys, 28, was ordered held without bond on a charge of knowingly possessing an unregistered destructive device.
The federal criminal complaint alleges Suopys built two pipe bombs by filling a metal pipe with the highly explosive substance Nitrocellulose, then added a wick. Similar state charges against Suopys were dropped after federal charges were approved.
"Thankfully, law enforcement at the federal, state and local level was able to identify and safely interrupt the threat described in the complaint," United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Zachary T. Fardon said in a news release. "The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lake County State's Attorney's Office and Lindenhurst Police Department are to be commended for their diligence and collaboration in this investigation."
The federal charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim said the Lindenhurst Police Department received an anonymous tip that Suopys was making explosive devices in his house.
Police contacted the FBI for assistance before making contact with Suopys and taking him into custody without incident.
Suopys, who possesses a degree in physics from University of Illinois-Chicago, told police he needed to make his own improvised grenades because he was unable to obtain a firearm, Nerheim said.
He also wrote in a journal that he intended to use the bombs to "kill multiple people and himself."
Police recovered lab equipment, an empty steel pipe, a PVC pipe with a motor and two metal pipes containing cotton-like material similar to Nitrocellulose, a highly-flammable substance, Nerheim said.
A detention hearing is scheduled for June 15 at 10:30 a.m.