Monkey Island Man Charged With Having Pipe Bomb

A Monkey Island man has been taken into custody in Missouri after being charged with having an unregistered destructive device.

According to an affidavit, a man called the Delaware County Sheriff's Office August 25 to say he found what appeared to be a pipe bomb on his property after evicting tenant Richard Cole. Cole had rented an apartment from the man in the 27000 block of South Highway 25.

The man told DCSO Cole had been a decent tenant but then quit paying rent. When the landlord toured his property, he found the apparent pipe bomb, Tannerite exploding target, holes in the walls and doors that had been destroyed.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad was called to the apartment and disarmed the pipe bomb that they said contained explosive powder and had end caps with a green fuse protruding from the end.

Investigators were later told Cole was getting a divorce, was in extreme financial trouble and had just been fired after reportedly embezzling between $30,000 and $60,000 from his employer.

Cole is expected to be arraigned in federal court Wednesday afternoon, August 29.