John Joseph Weikel, a 50-year-old resident of Quakertown, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for possessing an unregistered firearm. The sentence was handed down by United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley on February 6, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus stated that Weikel possessed two improvised explosive devices on or about June 28, 2021. These devices were found in his former residence in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. After manufacturing the devices, Weikel hid them behind ceiling tiles in his apartment and left them there upon eviction. Maintenance workers discovered the devices on May 31, 2023.
Law enforcement agents subsequently disassembled the devices and sent them to the FBI Laboratory for analysis. They were confirmed to be improvised explosive devices. Under federal law, manufacturing or possessing a destructive device without proper authority is illegal.
The investigation was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Allentown Field Office and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson prosecuted the case.