Pittsburgh-Area Man Indicted By Federal Grand Jury After Arrest With Alleged Homemade Bombs And Gun
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. (KDKA) -- Officials say a man from Whitehall has been indicted by a federal grand jury on firearms and explosives charges after being arrested in Mt. Lebanon with homemade explosives.
The U.S. Attorney's Office of Western Pennsylvania announced Wednesday that a five-count indictment has named 32-year-old Kurt Cofano as the sole defendant. Authorities say Cofano was found with homemade explosives and a gun on July 9 and 10. The indictment says that from May through July, Cofano "knowingly and unlawfully and without registering and obtaining approval" made destructive devices.
"Kurt Cofano stands accused of illegally possessing multiple completed destructive devices, the components for making additional destructive devices, and a dozen firearms all in violation of federal law," said U.S. Attorney Scott Brady in a release. "I commend the excellent work of the investigators and the prowess of our prosecutors to take this case from incident to indictment in just five days. In serious cases like this, justice will be certain and swift."
According to our news partners at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, authorities say Cufano had 12 guns, 14 improvised grenades and nine destructive devices with fragments labeled "M101.
On July 9, Cufano was arrested in Mt. Lebanon after making threats on social media to "blow up" a state office building and get "gunned down by the police." Police say they found components used to make improvised explosive devices in the man's car. He also allegedly posted threats to the CIA headquarters in Virginia.
Mt. Lebanon police say they spotted Cufano near Washington Road and Woodhaven Drive, where he was taken into custody.
