CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Ripley man pleaded guilty today to possessing a pipe bomb.
According to statements made in court, on October 6, 2019, Nicholas Boggess, 26, was pulled over by a trooper with the West Virginia State Police. After smelling the odor of marijuana, the trooper obtained consent to search Boggess’s vehicle. A Jackson County Sheriff’s deputy arrived to assist and recovered a pipe bomb in a backpack in the trunk of Boggess’s vehicle.
Boggess pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Act and faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on March 7, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the West Virginia State Police, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department’s bomb squad assisted in the investigation.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nowles Heinrich and former Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-00296.
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