ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. – James John Hall, 34, Zephyrhills, Florida, has been sentenced to two years and three months in federal prison for unlawfully making pipe bombs.
Hall pleaded guilty on April 3, 2023.
According to court documents, on November 1 and 2, 2022, Hall spoke by phone with a man to whom he had previously sold firearms.
During these conversations, Hall offered to sell the man a “pipe bomb” that he had built. Hall told the man that he had contemplated using the “pipe bomb” to target an individual with whom he was angry.
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The man who Hall was communicating with was a confidential informant (CI) with the Pasco Sherriff’s Office.
The CI reached out to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, which then coordinated further with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Later in the evening on November 2, the CI and an undercover detective from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office met with Hall, where the undercover detective purchased the “pipe bomb.” When asked about future purchases, Hall indicated that he “had enough to build six more now.”
ATF special agent bomb technicians then disassembled the suspected destructive device.
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The materials were then sent to ATF laboratories for additional analysis. A senior explosives enforcement officer examined the device and concluded that it was designed to function as a weapon and would be characterized as an improvised explosive bomb and destructive device.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.
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