Man Busted With A Ton Of Potassium Nitrate

[red states rule]

While no evidence this guy was making bombs - why did he need 2000 pounds of Potassium Nitrate?




Suspect in NYC chemical stash charged with reckless endangerment
By COLLEEN LONG
Associated Press Writer


NEW YORK -- A Staten Island man pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of reckless endangerment after authorities found a cache of potassium nitrate at a storage facility near his home.

Miguel Serrano, 57, was being held on $250,000 bail. Potassium nitrate is often used in pyrotechnics, but authorities said there was no evidence that he was involved in making bombs or selling bomb-making materials.

Acting on a tip from a vendor in Ohio, federal agents and police descended on the Staten Island home Thursday evening. Police said they found more than a ton of the chemical in a storage facility nearby. Small amounts of potassium nitrate, mercury, peroxide and sulfur were found inside the residence, authorities said.

Serrano was apparently selling the chemicals in smaller quantities on E-Bay, authorities said. He was charged with two counts of reckless endangerment and faces seven years in prison if convicted, the Staten Island District Attorney's Office said.

for the complete article
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/w...un29,0,7495463.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork

 

[Shattered]

While no evidence this guy was making bombs - why did he need 2000 pounds of Potassium Nitrate?




Suspect in NYC chemical stash charged with reckless endangerment
By COLLEEN LONG
Associated Press Writer


NEW YORK -- A Staten Island man pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of reckless endangerment after authorities found a cache of potassium nitrate at a storage facility near his home.

Miguel Serrano, 57, was being held on $250,000 bail. Potassium nitrate is often used in pyrotechnics, but authorities said there was no evidence that he was involved in making bombs or selling bomb-making materials.

Acting on a tip from a vendor in Ohio, federal agents and police descended on the Staten Island home Thursday evening. Police said they found more than a ton of the chemical in a storage facility nearby. Small amounts of potassium nitrate, mercury, peroxide and sulfur were found inside the residence, authorities said.

Serrano was apparently selling the chemicals in smaller quantities on E-Bay, authorities said. He was charged with two counts of reckless endangerment and faces seven years in prison if convicted, the Staten Island District Attorney's Office said.

for the complete article
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/w...un29,0,7495463.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork

That pretty much answers that question.. Selling it on eBay.. And, it's used in making pyrotechnics, which around this time of year equates to 4th of July fireworks...

 

[RetiredGySgt]

That pretty much answers that question.. Selling it on eBay.. And, it's used in making pyrotechnics, which around this time of year equates to 4th of July fireworks...

Yup, sounds good that they knew about it BUT sounds like they now are pressing a case for no good reason.

hell I have about 1900 rounds of different ammo in my house. I bet they would claim that was dangerous as well if they knew.

 

[Shattered]

Yup, sounds good that they knew about it BUT sounds like they now are pressing a case for no good reason.

hell I have about 1900 rounds of different ammo in my house. I bet they would claim that was dangerous as well if they knew.

On one hand, you can't blame them for being overly cautious...on the other, this shit's getting pathetic..

I wonder what I'd be arrested for, and charged with if they found all the serial killer profiling books, and true crime books I have in my house...as well as the countless swords, daggers, and various other weapons...

 

[red states rule]

On one hand, you can't blame them for being overly cautious...on the other, this shit's getting pathetic..

I wonder what I'd be arrested for, and charged with if they found all the serial killer profiling books, and true crime books I have in my house...as well as the countless swords, daggers, and various other weapons...

and if it was used in a terrorist attack the agency would have been savaged. After what is going on in the UK we have to check every one of these incidents out

 

[RetiredGySgt]

and if it was used in a terrorist attack the agency would have been savaged. After what is going on in the UK we have to check every one of these incidents out

They checked it out. They do not even have a law making it illegal to own the stuff, thus the generic charge of " endangerment" They even admit they have no suspicion he is making bombs or is a terrorist.

Ohh and Shattered? The usual ploy when arresting someone with a large "cache" of weapons is to have a picture of all those weapons and make misleading statements about them, never mentioning of course that none of the weapons are illegal nor any law broken by possessing them.

 

[red states rule]

They checked it out. They do not even have a law making it illegal to own the stuff, thus the generic charge of " endangerment" They even admit they have no suspicion he is making bombs or is a terrorist.

Ohh and Shattered? The usual ploy when arresting someone with a large "cache" of weapons is to have a picture of all those weapons and make misleading statements about them, never mentioning of course that none of the weapons are illegal nor any law broken by possessing them.

If the man has a valid reason for having the stuff- fine. They did their job and that is all I want

Terrorist attacks are up, and there is no reason for letting something like this go without checking it out

 

[Shattered]

If the man has a valid reason for having the stuff- fine. They did their job and that is all I want

Terrorist attacks are up, and there is no reason for letting something like this go without checking it out

There wasn't even any reason for it to make the news.. It's not illegal, he didn't have any partially made bombs (or anything else for that matter).. but he DID have an eBay account, with auctions running for it.. At *best*, it's illegal to sell them on eBay, which would entail eBay pulling his auctions - nothing more.

 

[red states rule]

There wasn't even any reason for it to make the news.. It's not illegal, he didn't have any partially made bombs (or anything else for that matter).. but he DID have an eBay account, with auctions running for it.. At *best*, it's illegal to sell them on eBay, which would entail eBay pulling his auctions - nothing more.

The lead of my post was there was no evidence of him making bombs

If you found out your neighbor had 2000 pounds of Potassium Nitrate in his shed, would you want to know why?

 

[Shattered]

The lead of my post was there was no evidence of him making bombs

If you found out your neighbor had 2000 pounds of Potassium Nitrate in his shed, would you want to know why?

Sure... But, that makes it newsworthy how? Especially if he has nothing illegal, and has done nothing wrong?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

The lead of my post was there was no evidence of him making bombs

If you found out your neighbor had 2000 pounds of Potassium Nitrate in his shed, would you want to know why?

Would you want him charged for no other reason then they can? That is basicly what has happened. In my opinion. ( now where is maineman to remind us all that since we are not Judges, our opinion is worthless in this matter)

 

[red states rule]

Sure... But, that makes it newsworthy how? Especially if he has nothing illegal, and has done nothing wrong?

Timothy Mcvay mean anything to you?

I would be surprised he did not violate any laws having 1 ton of it in his shed

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Timothy Mcvay mean anything to you?

I would be surprised he did not violate any laws having 1 ton of it in his shed

Yet the only charge is reckless endangerment? I think I still have a pound or two of black powder around, perhaps that too is reckless endangerment what with all the ammo I have.

 

[Diuretic]

Sounds like a charge meant as an arse-covering exercise or a face-saving exercise and probably both.

I don't know the further details of the case but unless he's done something really stupid in storing the stuff then there's no "reckless endangerment". Okay if he's got it stored with diesel and detonators, no worries, that's asking for a huge explosion at his place, but if he's just got it properly bagged (static electricity will set a bag of that stuff off as well) then I reckon they'll be pushing uphill to get a conviction.

 

[DeadCanDance]

That pretty much answers that question.. Selling it on eBay.. And, it's used in making pyrotechnics, which around this time of year equates to 4th of July fireworks...

Exactly. If RSR had read his own article, his question was answered within.

Forget about it. RSR sees terrorists everywhere he/she looks. He's a bed-wetter, who would have us waste our time panicking and chasing after phantom threats, rather than focusing our resources on rooting out real and credible threats.

 

[Annie]

Exactly. If RSR had read his own article, his question was answered within.

Forget about it. RSR sees terrorists everywhere he/she looks. He's a bed-wetter, who would have us waste our time panicking and chasing after phantom threats, rather than focusing our resources on rooting out real and credible threats.

Cool, Thanks for making it clear that the jihadists are too stupid to use our tech against us. Whoops, 9/11 were our jets. Must have been an aberration.

 

[DeadCanDance]

Cool, Thanks for making it clear that the jihadists are too stupid to use our tech against us. Whoops, 9/11 were our jets. Must have been an aberration.

The article says the guy wasn't involved in bomb making or terrorism. RSR suggests that I'm still supposed to be suspicious and afraid of this guy. Do you agree with RSR? Personally, I see no reason to panic over this guy.

As for going after REAL terrorists, who may use chemicals, planes, or cars, I challenge you to find a single post by me, where I suggested we ignore the tactics and plans of real terrorists.

 

[Annie]

The article says the guy wasn't involved in bomb making or terrorism. RSR suggests that I'm still supposed to be suspicious and afraid of this guy. Do you agree with RSR? Personally, I see no reason to panic over this guy.

As for going after REAL terrorists, who may use chemicals, planes, or cars, I challenge you to find a single post by me, where I suggested we ignore the tactics and plans of real terrorists.

How about there are lots of problems, RSR notwithstanding? D'oh.

 

[red states rule]

The article says the guy wasn't involved in bomb making or terrorism. RSR suggests that I'm still supposed to be suspicious and afraid of this guy. Do you agree with RSR? Personally, I see no reason to panic over this guy.

As for going after REAL terrorists, who may use chemicals, planes, or cars, I challenge you to find a single post by me, where I suggested we ignore the tactics and plans of real terrorists.

Did you overlook the first sentence in my post?

So you would not be the least bit curious if your neighbor had 2000 pounds of Potassium Nitrate in his shed?

 

[Diuretic]

Did you overlook the first sentence in my post?

So you would not be the least bit curious if your neighbor had 2000 pounds of Potassium Nitrate in his shed?

Depends on what he has it for. It's a fertiliser. It's also capable of being used to make explosives. It's very popular in the opal fields in Australia because it's cheaper than other explosives and you can also make the bang as big or small as you like.

It's about context.