Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Cumberland County, New Jersey, man today admitted possessing a destructive device and explosive materials, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Thomas Petronglo, 64, of Vineland, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an indictment charging him with one count of possession of a destructive device and one count of unlawful storage of explosives.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On March 12, 2021, Petronglo was found in possession of one destructive device, a 5 ¾-inch diameter metal can, containing a quantity of an explosive mixture of potassium perchlorate and aluminum, with a fuse sticking out of the device. Petronglo also possessed multiple intact improvised explosive devices and explosive materials at his residence in Vineland.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Vineland Police Department, the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, and the N.J. State Police for their assistance with the investigation.

The count of possession of a destructive device carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of unlawful storage of explosives carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Bender and Joseph McFarlane of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.