SIX INDICTED IN CONNECTION WITH EXPLOSIVES RECOVERY

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Indictments have been filed in U.S. District Court today charging six men in connection with an explosives recovery in April 2007 in Northeast Alabama. Five members of a group called "The Free Militia," were detained May 1, 2007, after completing a detention hearing in U.S. District Court.

The indictment filed today includes the following counts:

Count one charges ADAM LYNN CUNNINGHAM, RAYMOND KIRK DILLARD, a/k/a Jeff Osborne, a/k/a Randall Hayes, a/k/a John Dillard, JAMES RAY MCELROY, a/k/a Jay McElroy, BONNELL HUGHES, a/k/a Buster Hughes, and RANDALL GARRETT COLE, a/k/a Randy Cole were charged with conspiracy to make a firearm or destructive device, specifically grenades.

Count two charges Raymond Kirk Dillard, Bonnell Hughes and Randall Garrett Cole with conspiracy to make a firearm, that is a silencer.

Count three charges that Adam Lynn Cunningham, Raymond Kirk Dillard, James Ray McElroy, Bonnell Hughes, and Randall Garrett Cole, knowingly made a firearm, a destructive device, that is 10 grenades.

Count four charges Raymond Kirk Dillard, Bonnell Hughes, and Randall Garrett Cole, knowing made a firearm, that is a silencer.

Count five charges Raymond Kirk Dillard, a convicted felon, was in the possession of a firearm.

Count six charges Raymond Kirk Dillard with possession of a firearm, a destructive device, specifically two grenades which were not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

Count seven charges Raymond Kirk Dillard and James Ray McElroy possessed with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, that is 100 or more marijuana plants.

Count eight charges James Ray McElroy, an unlawful user of a controlled substance, that is marijuana, did posses a firearm, that is a Norinco SKS 7.62 caliber rifle.

Count nine charges Bonnell Hughes, was in the illegal possession of a Sten 9mm machine gun.

Count ten charges Bonnell Hughes with the illegal possession of a destructive device, that is approximately 80 grenades not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

Count Eleven charges Bonnell Hughes with the unlawful possession of a firearm, that is approximately 68 improvised explosive projectiles and a launcher which was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

Count Twelve charges Bonnell Hughes with the unlawful possession of a silencer.

Count Thirteen charges Adam Lynn Cunningham with the possession of a destructive device, that is 24 grenades not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

Count Fourteen charges Adam Lynn Cunningham with the unlawful possession of a Harrington and Richardson 12 gauge shotgun with a barrel length less than 18 inches which was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

Penalties range from 5 years to 40 years in prison with fines of $250,000.
MICHAEL WAYNE BOBO is charged in a separate indictment also filed today. BOBO is charged with being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, that is marijuana, and being in the possession of more than ten firearms. BOBO is also charged with the illegal possession of marijuana. BOBO was released on a $10,000 property bond and strict reporting requirements including home detention and electronic monitoring. BOBO faces penalties ranging from 1 to 10 years in prison and fines of $250,000.

The men will be arraigned in U.S. District Court in about two weeks. No trial dates have been set at this time.

During the search warrants which occurred in April, 2007, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with state and local law enforcement recovered 130 grenades, a grenade launcher, a machine gun, a short barreled shot-gun, two silencers, numerous other firearms, 2500 rounds of ammunition, explosive components, approximately 70 Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), and commercial fireworks, and ammunition, along with over 100 marijuana plants. While executing the search warrants, officers encountered booby traps at one location.

This investigation involved numerous federal, state and local law enforcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is the lead agency assisted by the Bomb Squads from Huntsville Police Department, Jefferson County, and Gadsden County Sheriffs' Departments and Alabama Department of Public Safety Bomb Squad who worked with ATF Bomb Techs in securing the IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). Other Agencies include, The U.S. Marshal Service, The Federal Bureau of Investigation, The Alabama State Fire Marshals, The Alabama Bureau of Investigation, and the Sheriff's Offices and District Attorneys' Offices of DeKalb, Etowah, Marshall, and Jefferson Counties.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government's burden to prove a defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.