LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) – Two Lakeland men are accused of making three “The Works Bomb” and placing them in parks last month.
Lakeland police said Brian Wilson, 20, and Michael Stein, 20, made the homemade bottle devices with a mixture of a chemical liquid and aluminum foil.
MORE: Police investigating suspicious homemade bottle devices in Lakeland
Two of bottle bombs were found on Nov. 29 in the north parking lot of Common Ground Park on Edgewood Drive. The third device was found later the same day by a pedestrian walking near Lake Hollingsworth.
The bombs did not go off, and they were all recovered by Lakeland police.
According to officers, Stein admitted to being responsible for the idea, the making, and the placing of the destructive devices. He said his intention was never to harm anyone, but this was something he had done as a younger person and he was trying to show his friends what this could do. Wilson was also interviewed and admitted to his involvement, police said.
A complaint affidavit was sent to the State Attorney’s Office charging:
- Michael Robert Stein – Charged with 3 counts of Making a Destructive Device, F3.
- Brian Edward Wilson – Charged with 1 count of Making a Destructive Device, F3.
“When these devices do explode, they expel acid that is contained in them, which could do damage to your eyes. It can be an inhalation hazard and it also can be a physical hazard if you try to pick it up,” said John McGrath, fire investigator and inspect with the Lakeland Fire Department.
“Even if you just possess one of these devices, or you possess the materials to make those, it’s a third-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in jail.”MORE TOP STORIES: