Douglas Moore, 47, of Byrnes Mill has admitted to having two pipe bombs in a car he was driving that Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office stopped because it had expired license plates, the U.S. District Attorney’s Office reported.
Moore pleaded guilty March 5 to felony possession of an unregistered destructive device. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 5 in front of U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White, according to court documents.
Moore was driving a 2004 Suzuki Aerio when he was pulled over at about 2:45 p.m. May 11, 2021, at Jarvis Road near Old Hwy. 21 north of Hillsboro. The car he was driving was equipped with emergency lights, and investigators found a bail bondsman badge, a bullet-resistant vest, handcuffs and a powdery substance believed to be illegal drugs in the car, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
Moore was on probation at the time and was wanted on a warrant for an unrelated misdemeanor traffic violation, so he was arrested, the report said.
According to Moore’s guilty plea, he had two metal pipes wrapped in tape with a wick protruding from one end in the car when he was pulled over. The deputy also reportedly found a pouch that contained meth under the driver’s seat.
The St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit took the pipe bombs to the St. Louis County Explosive Range, where the devices were cut open and found to contain powder and metallic spheres. A senior explosives and enforcement officer from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reviewed the investigation report and photographs and determined the devices were explosive bombs and considered destructive devices, according to the plea agreement.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; the St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin is prosecuting the case.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office also has charged Moore with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, a class D felony punishable by up to seven years in prison, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a class D misdemeanor that carries a penalty of a fine of up to $500, court records show.