A Webster man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for exploding two pipe bombs in Weare in 2023.
Dale G. Stewart, 57, of Weare pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing an unregistered firearm, specifically a destructive device, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Stewart detonated two pipe bombs on Dustin Tavern Road and Sugar Hill Road in Weare on the evening of April 26 and on the morning of April 27, 2023, according to the plea agreement and statements made in court.
The explosion on Dustin Tavern Road injured a person who was running nearby.
When searching his vehicle, police found an undetonated pipe bomb made out of PVC pipe, with glued end caps, wrapped in black electrical tape, with a green hobby fuse protruding from one of the end caps. It contained more than four ounces of an explosive material.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Weare Police Department; and the Federal Protective Service led the investigation.
