Dunn man pleads guilty to possession of weapons of mass destruction after blast injures SBI agents
A 36-year-old man from Dunn pled guilty to three counts of possessions of a weapon of mass destruction that seriously injured two State Bureau of Investigations agents in 2019.
Agent Tim Luper received second-degree burns and dislocated his shoulder during the explosions, while agent Brian Joy suffered third-degree burns.
Jimmy Allen Tyndall will serve 17 to 30 months in prison and when he is released he will be on 24 months probation.
Deputies with the Sampson County Sheriff's Office stopped Tyndall after he was speeding around 10 miles over the speed limit near Midway Elementary School, according to Sampson County officials.
In his car, deputies found homemade explosive devices and arrested Tyndall that afternoon. Deputies called in the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Bomb Squad to help investigative the explosives. At Tyndall's home, deputies found a burn pile inside that appeared to be from a detonated explosive.
Once state investigators arrived at around 6 p.m., they found several buckets of "unknown and other materials that appeared to be fuels, oxidizers, smokeless powders, fuses," and two explosive devices, according to documents from the Sampson County District Attorney.
That night, agents worked to safely dispose of the bomb making materials away from the residence. After the two explosive devices were removed and deemed safe, officers began to dispose of the powders.
Then at around 1 a.m., a large explosion took place while two agents worked to try and dispose of the powders. First responders and sheriff's deputies found Joy on his knees and severely burned across his whole body. His colleague, Luper, was trying to help Joy while also suffering from severe injuries.
Joy had to be transported by helicopter to the NC Jaycee Burn Center in Chapel Hill for his injuries, officials said.
Tyndall maintained in court that he did not intend to harm anyone and said he purchased the chemicals online. As a condition of probation, he was ordered to not posses any of these chemicals in the future.
Both agents have recovered from their injuries and are still employed with the State Bureau of Investigation Bomb Squad.
"This case is an example of why traffic stops are a vital part of law enforcement," said District Attorney Ernie Lee. "I appreciate these law enforcement officer that daily risk their own safety to protect the public.”
