Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that a federal grand jury charged Mark Consiglio, 48, of Elsmere, Delaware with three counts of illegally possessing a destructive device, commonly known as a pipe bomb. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $10,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment on each count, if convicted.

The allegations against Consiglio include that he detonated a pipe bomb at his estranged wife’s residence in Elsmere in the early morning hours of March 12, 2018. Subsequent searches of Consiglio’s residence yielded additional suspected pipe bombs as well as a .38 caliber revolver. In February, Consiglio was charged with terroristic threatening by the State of Delaware for threatening to kill his wife.

Consiglio made his initial appearance on the indictment before a federal magistrate judge on May 24, 2018. The government filed a motion to detain Consiglio pending trial. He did not contest detention.

U.S. Attorney Weiss offered the following statement, “The use of destructive devices poses a grave threat to the safety of this community. We will treat these threats accordingly and prosecute those who employ such weapons to the fullest extent of the law.”

An indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in coordination with the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Elsmere Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Ibrahim.

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