Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Cumberland County Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Possessing Destructive Device and Explosive Materials
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Cumberland County man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for possessing a destructive device and explosive materials, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Thomas Petronglo, 64, of Vineland, New Jersey, previously 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. Judge Kugler imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
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 addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Petronglo to three years of supervised release.
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 sentencing. 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 government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Bender and Joseph McFarlane of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
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