Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Ricky Wynn, 61, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced on Friday, December 2, 2022, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for transporting explosive materials with intent to injure. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Wynn to imprisonment for a term of 24 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Wynn will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.

On January 30, 2022, the Omaha Police and Fire Departments were dispatched to a residential address in Omaha responding to a report of multiple suspicious packages. The subsequent investigation determined approximately 13 devices of an incendiary and/or explosive nature were placed around a vehicle and detached garage. Twelve of the devices were “Molotov cocktail” type devices. The 13th device contained an energetic powder (consistent with smokeless powder) and nails and screws. It appeared that a wick to the device had been lit but failed to detonate.

The people residing at the address told investigators they had previously been granted a protection order against Wynn, with whom they had a prior dispute.

Investigators obtained a warrant and searched Wynn’s apartment, garage, and vehicle located in Council Bluffs on February 2, 2022. During this search, investigators located evidence that Wynn had assembled the devices there prior to placing them at the Omaha residence on January 30, 2022.

This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Omaha Police Department, and the Omaha Fire Department.