Wauconda man pleads guilty to bomb possession
A Wauconda man who authorities said threatened to blow up police offices pleaded guilty to a bomb possession charge in Lake County court Friday.
Andreas Stachel, 50, of the 400 block of Lake Shore Boulevard, was sentenced to 24 months of probation, 90 days in Lake County jail, 180 days in work release jail, after pleading guilty in front of Judge Christopher Stride.
Stachel also has been assigned to the Lake County Veterans Court, was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service, and must remain drug and alcohol free while out on probation, Assistant Lake County State's Attorney Jason Grindel said.
The jail term and work release sentence has been stayed until the end of his probation, Grindel said. If Stachel completes the terms of his probation, the jail portions of the sentence will be dropped.
Charges of possession of an explosive or incendiary device, and possession of cannabis were dropped in exchange for the plea deal, Grindel said.
Stachel forced the June 30 evacuation of about 125 houses near downtown Wauconda after he told a pawnshop employee he intended to lure police to his house and blow them up, authorities said. He made the threat when he pawned a rifle at the shop earlier in the day, authorities said.
The pawnshop employee contacted police about 3:30 p.m., and police took Stachel into custody about 5 p.m.
Representatives of local, regional, state and federal law enforcement agencies converged on the neighborhood and searched the house with a robot and dogs trained to detect bombs. No one was injured during the investigation. Police seized what looked to be about four sticks of homemade dynamite.
Stachel said in court Friday the items seized were fireworks, specifically M-100s, bottle rockets and Roman candles.
He is due to appear April 7 in Veterans Court.