Ottawa County church bomb-plot case moved to federal court
BY SHEILA STOGSDILL World Correspondent
Thursday, February 07, 2013
2/07/13 at 6:18 AM
MIAMI, Okla. - An Illinois man who is accused of plotting to destroy 48 Ottawa County churches with Molotov cocktails will be prosecuted in federal court, authorities said Wednesday.
State charges against Gregory Arthur Weiler II were dismissed Wednesday after he was taken into federal custody, District Attorney Eddie Wyant said.
Weiler, 24, was being held in the Ottawa County Jail on complaints of possession of an explosive or incendiary device and violation of the Oklahoma Anti-Terrorism Act.
Weiler, who was deemed competent to stand trial in January, was arraigned Wednesday in federal court in Tulsa on an indictment that had been handed up under seal Monday.
The grand jury alleges that on Oct. 4, Weiler possessed a destructive device described in the indictment as an "incendiary bomb."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles McLoughlin said Weiler could face as much as 10 years in prison if he is convicted on the federal charge, which became public when Weiler made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Tulsa.
Weiler had been scheduled to appear Thursday in Ottawa County District for a preliminary hearing.
Family members have said Weiler suffers from mental illness, and both of his parents abused drugs and committed suicide, published reports state.
Weiler is accused of having handwritten notes in his motel room at the Miami Legacy Inn & Suites, which listed 48 churches in Ottawa County and how to make Molotov cocktails, according to an arrest affidavit.
A motel maintenance man found in the motel's Dumpster a green military duffel bag that held 50 apparent Molotov cocktails and other explosives-related material.
Original Print Headline: Church bomb-plot case moved to federal court
World Staff Writer David Harper contributed to this story.
Associated Images:
Gregory Arthur Weiler II: Federal prosecutors accuse him of possessing explosive devices and a list of 48 Ottawa County churches. With the list were hand-written notes about how to make Molotov cocktails, according to an arrest affidavit. Family members say he suffers from mental illness
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