Somerset Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in Connection with July and August 2010 Bomb Explosions

United States Attorney John E. Murphy announced that in San Antonio, 47-year-old Raymond Edward Mynes of Somerset, Texas, faces up to 60 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to federal charges in connection with a series of incidents involving explosive devices which caused an estimated $20,000 in property damage.

According to court records, on July 31, 2010, a bomb exploded at the front door of a residence located in the 10300 block of Timber Country in San Antonio. Evidence and debris collected at the scene led investigators to determine that the explosion was caused by a pipe bomb. On August 14, 2010, federal agents and local authorities responded to the same location where they recovered three Molotov cocktails in front of the residence. Two appeared to have exploded; a third bottle was intact and full of gasoline. On August 30, 2010, the owner of the residence discovered another suspicious device located under his vehicle parked in the driveway. Officers from the San Antonio Bomb Squad were able to successfully secure the device–a 10-inch long galvanized pipe, capped at both ends with a wick inserted into one of the caps. Investigators subsequently determined that the device contained a powder accelerant.

Appearing before United States District Judge Xavier Rodriguez this afternoon, Mynes pleaded guilty to three counts of making a destructive device and three counts of possessing a destructive device. By pleading guilty, Mynes admitted that he manufactured, possessed and delivered all of the devices previously mentioned to the target residence.

Mynes, who has remained in custody since his arrest in September 2010, is scheduled to be sentenced at 1:30pm on June 8, 2011.

This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives together with the Bexar County Fire Marshal’s Office and the San Antonio Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Judith Patton is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.