Wow, talk about someone's life falling apart. I wonder what would make someone choose such a dangerous hobby. I wonder what the full extent of his injuries are. I sure hope he has a lot of family support. It looks like he's going to need it.
An arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for a Martinez man whose home was found to have explosive material after he was injured in a blast days before.
Chad Wells faces a warrant on a charge of possession of a destructive device, Columbia County Magistrate Court Judge Wade Padgett said.
No bond has been set.
If convicted, Mr. Wells could face three years to 20 years in prison, a maximum $25,000 fine or both, officials said.
Mr. Wells remained at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta on Tuesday, according to officials.
Anthony Russo, a supervisory senior resident agent for the FBI's Augusta office, confirmed Tuesday that a rare substance called triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, was found at Mr. Wells' Sally Drive home off Furys Ferry Road near River Watch Parkway.
Federal and local authorities sealed off the home Saturday and searched it for explosives after learning Mr. Wells had lost some fingers in a small blast days before.
Agent Russo said TATP, a homemade explosive devised of common chemicals, has been found in the United States only a handful of times dating back several years. He said TATP has been used in terrorist operations.
"It's not a very common event that we confirm the presence of it," he said. "It's the same substance that was used in the London bombing (of 2005)...It's most commonly used by terrorists as more of an initiator for other explosives."
Agent Russo reiterated that officials have ruled out any connection to terrorism in the case.
"We didn't collect any information he had any intentions to use the material anywhere outside his home," the agent said.
As for where the explosives came from, Agent Russo would only say Mr. Wells obtained them from a "variety of sources." A neighbor said Saturday that Mr. Wells had told him he was ordering explosives on the Internet.
Authorities have not said why Mr. Wells had the material in his home; however, neighbors said his personality changed after the death of his girlfriend more than a year ago.
That death became more public after the arrest of a former Richmond County assistant coroner, who admitted stealing several holiday gift cards from the Augusta hotel room where the woman's body was found.
Chad Wells obtained the materials from a "variety of sources," an FBI agent said.
Reach Preston Sparks at (706) 823-3338 or preston.sparks@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
Wow, talk about someone's life falling apart. I wonder what would make someone choose such a dangerous hobby. I wonder what the full extent of his injuries are. I sure hope he has a lot of family support. It looks like he's going to need it.
The judge should have order this terrorist to the prison camp in Guantanamo Bay.
This leaves me wanting more info....like, why would his girlfriend be in a hotel room (dead) and did he have anything to do with that and it was never suspected? If I remember correctly, this Assistant Coroner was shown on camera spending the gift cards is how they nabbed her. This just may have been someone we DO need to worry about having explosives of any kind. Weird. I mean, as well as he lost one or more fingers a few days before and never went to the hospital or a Dr.? Who does something like that if they are all that innocent of wrong doing? Just all the blood from that and no medical attention is a red flag to me. Huh?
namasta, maybe he is suicidal? Maybe he blames himself for his girlfriend's death, or whatever led to it. He has problems, no doubt. Hope he finds peace at some point.
patriciathomas I wonder how much different your post would have been if it were a black man, you're an idiot. A hobby, my butt he's a criminal. No different than all those black men you have such terrible things to say about. This idiot belongs in jail and so does the neighbor who didn't report him after he told them he was buying it. No telling what he was planning on doing with these explosives. He lost some fingers, please he should have lost more than that.
I'm just glad that he is the only one that has been hurt. Sounds like one messed up person. Wade needs to have him committed, and get the help he needs now. Otherwise, we might be having a whole different discussion in the future.
panther, the black men that had "horrible" things said about them were career criminals who sold death and despair to many people on a daily basis. Where were your comments after a WHITE judge found a BLACK woman innocent by insanity after brutally murdering two innocent children?
pantherluvcik, you really smart person, I guess mind reading is beyond me. What was it Wells meant to blow up? What was his plans? Why didn't you report your information before the explosion? You think a change of skin color would have changed the situation? Your cognizance is amazing.
LOL justus4. You've got a great sense of humor.
Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin the work of remaking America"
NOT BLOW UP YOUR COUNTRY, YOU IDIOT.
Dang people - why does EVERYTHING go back to the color of someone's skin?! Black, white, tan, pale - WHO CARES - we are ALL capable of committing crimes and should ALL be punished the same. That's what's wrong with this crazy world - and to think I have to raise my kids up in this mess! If the world would stop seeing color and start looking deeper - it might be a better place. Maybe God needs to make us all blind so then we can't automatically judge because of someone's color.
Maybe he was just trying to start a new" booming" economy?
Explosives for a hobby? C'mon!
Now if this would have happened around the 4th of July, or New Year's then I might could believe that he was making homemade fireworks...MAYBE!
patriciathomas, you ask, "What was it Wells meant to blow up?" It could have been a clinic, school, doctor's office...no one knows. But, he sure had the means to do it.
A guy has key materials that are "most commonly used by terrorists" to make a bomb, blows off two of his fingers...and the authorities rule out that he wasn't planning to do anything with it outside the home!!!!! WTF!
Let those same authorities find some cocaine, and some baking soda in my apartment...I bet I would be classified as a big time drug dealer. What if I didn't "have any intentions to use the material anywhere outside his home?" Would my charges be dropped? Hell no!
"Let those same authorities find some cocaine, and some baking soda in my apartment...I bet I would be classified as a big time drug dealer." ----- That's the irony in all of this. Folks know meth is made in CC, with EPA Superfund level toxic chemicals that can go BOOM at any time. But that's brushed off, too (are CC residents so crazy they WANT to live by folks that can blow their homes up????). BTW, has anyone asked why his girlfriend committed suicide (they don't without some reason)? And why would a guy mad at "the system" will go to the extent to want to build bombs, considering TATP is used to destroy more than things, other people? Justice isn't murdering others for revenge, after all.
LOl collecting bombs and explosives a hobby? I think i have heard it all. This is guy needs to be lock up for 30 years. I doubt this is his first crime. Looks like he sells, uses, or does both when it comes to meth, and crack.
This guy girlfriend was found dead in a hotel room. Women need to be more careful in who they date. Look what this thug did to his girlfriend.
Yeah, he is just misunderstood. It was just a hobby> I hope his family and friends will support him. He is just the kindest person you will ever meet. Just do not open any package that he sends you that has wires hanging out or is ticking.
And prayingforthisworld Im white but you can check the satistics. Black men who commit the same crimes as white men recieve longer sentences everytime. So people in the public might judge all criminals the same. Our judicial center doesn't though. Look at the sentences in the 90's-2000 for selling crack vs selling meth. Look at how many drug rehabilitation programs our tax money is being used for meth. Because its the number 1 drug in america. And is destorying white america. Why don't we just lock these ppl up like we did other non-violent drug sellers.
The suicide of a loved one leaves marks (no pun intended) on you that never go away. The "whys", "what ifs", and "if onlys"! When my best friend commited suicide about 13 years ago I was so mad at her for YEARS that I could not hardly speak her name. Then I worried about "where" she was ... heaven? hell? ... it is traumatic to everyone who loved that person. I do not condone the actions of this man nor know why he was doing these things ... but people get so wrapped up in their own pain following someones suicide that they forget to look out for each other and pay attention to what is going on with those closest to the deceased.
Sprintman - yes the satistics you are stating are true - no one has to go look that up - we hear it everyday on TV, but WE as Americans let that happen. It's people like some that have made racial comments on here that keep that going. I'm white too, but I just think it's sad that everywhere we turn the color of someone's skin is being brought up. Maybe blacks commit more crimes - why shouldn't they - everyone assumes they will just because their black?? There are plenty of whites out there doing their share of crimes too - but like this man - "they are just SO kind!" All's I'm saying is people need to stop turning things into a skin color issue. Go to different stories and read the comments - I guarentee you will see more stuff relating to racial than anything else. That is sad - we are ALL human! Once again - maybe God should take away the gift of sight and see how that changes this world from looking at the color of someones skin.
Skin color is relative .. depends on who you ask. Obama is white because he is half-white or Obama is black because he is half-black. We all saw him dance last night and by that display ... he is definitely white!!
But can he jump?
lmao...shamrock!! I love Obama!! Michelle was looking beautiful as always lastnight...this is a weird story...i personally think that this was a stupid hobby...maybe he just needed somebody to talk too but I dont think he wanted the Chronicle to report that bit of personal info.
That "personal" info can be found online with searching his name. He's listed as that woman's "companion" in her Obit (which is available everywhere to look up).
Truth is this guy was messing around with dangerous materials. Maybe it was just a hobby, maybe he was working on fireworks, or he could have been planning to use the explosive in an act of violence. However, the real deal is that he was prevented from harming anyone else, accidentially or intentionally and he will now be giving the opportunity to straighten out his situation. Judge ye not, lest ye be judge. We are all judged in the end.
LOL @ duke's 09:34 'booming economy' comment. That was just too cute. I don't know what this man was thinking by having a chemical like that in his possession, but I sincerely hope he is not part of a group intent on doing bad things with materials like this. If he is then I pray his fellow group members can be found and detained quickly.
He just need a hug.
If my hobby was explosives and somebody had just stolen thousands of dollars worth of property from me, I might have decided to booby trap my house to keep them from coming back for more. Seems to me that is the most likely explanation of his motivation. Doesn't make it right, I just tried to put myself in his shoes. He has been robbed, violated, and wants to protect himself fast, what's handy? (Sorry, no pun intended, ouch). He's under duress, he makes a mistake, he's no longer quite as handy. And in more trouble than the thieves are likely to be. What a shame. My instincts tell me he'd still have his fingers if he hadn't been robbed the day before of his truck, etc.
chad wells is my uncle and he's no terrorist and wasnt tryin to hurt ne one ! he just enjoyed making fireworks ! and to all the ppl who think he was boobytrapping he's house he wasnt scared they was coming back he would have just put a cap in there butt if they come back! as far as him being in a group nope not true like i said he just enjoyed making fireworks and thats it my uncle is a verry smart man ! and just to let yall know he's a vegetarain he wont even intentionally hurt an animal he would starve to death before he would eat a cheeseburger bc it use to "mooooooo" and just to tell everyone needs to hush and stop running there mouth the press just lets yall know what they want yall to !!!!! AND TO MY UNCLE GOOD LUCK AND MUCH LOVE!
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