A 48-year-old Davenport man has been sentenced to federal prison in connection with an incendiary device that was detonated in a boat, according to court records.
In federal court, Jon Kucharo was sentenced Monday to serve nine years in prison for transportation and receipt of explosives with intent and unlawful receipt and possession of destructive devices, court records say. He also was ordered to serve a supervised-release term of three years, and to pay $3,198.76 in restitution.
Additionally, Kucharo “shall forfeit (his) interest in the following property to the United States: Explosive powder and four pipe bombs, as described in the Preliminary Order of Forfeiture entered on Dec. 15, 2023,” court records say.
The incident in 2022
Shortly before 8 a.m. Wednesday, June 22, 2022, Davenport Police and Davenport Fire Arson Investigators responded to the 1700 block of Spring Street about a pipe bomb that had been detonated inside of a boat, according to a news release from Davenport Police and court records.
Through a joint investigation with the QC Bomb Squad, Iowa DCI, FBI, and ATF, Kucharo was located and taken into custody in the 1600 block of West 12th Street, Davenport Police said in a news release. Kucharo originally faced charges of second-degree arson and four counts of possession of an incendiary device.
Arrest affidavits say Kucharo committed second-degree arson “by placing an incendiary device inside a pontoon boat” in front of the 1700 block of Spring Street, Davenport. “This device was intentionally ignited by a fuse causing greater than $750 damage,” affidavits show.
During a search warrant of Kucharo’s 1997 Ford Econoline van, officers found containers of black powder and fuse material, affidavits say. Kucharo’s cell phone showed multiple videos of four pipe bombs in the front seat similar to the device found inside the boat, affidavits say.
A number of officers, along with FBI agents, firefighters, the bomb squad and two armored vehicles were at the scene.
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