Felony charges for Princeton teens in bombs case
Two Princeton High School students have been charged with placing six homemade bombs around their city last week, the same day school was canceled because of an investigation into three suspicious packages.
Jeremiah Moliter, 18, and a 17-year-old friend were charged with felonies in Mille Lacs County Court.
According to the criminal complaint, police in Princeton found six homemade bombs -- called "McGyver bombs" or "The Works" bombs -- around the city.
While investigating a suspicious package found at the post office, Police Sgt. Joe Backlund was called to another address, where he found a Mountain Dew bottle with a strong chemical odor lying in the road, the complaint said. Witnesses told him they heard a "pop" sound when a car drove by.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
According to the complaint, the pair told police they had purchased items at a grocery store to make the explosive devices.
Authorities found explosive devices at the post office, high school and public utilities building, but Princeton police said in a statement on the department's Web site that they are still investigating those incidents.
Moliter told the Star Tribune that he only wanted to pull a prank on a day that school was canceled because of the suspicious packages being found. Moliter said the pair had nothing to do with the three other suspected explosive devices, which were later found to be harmless.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the device placed at the post office.
The packages found at a post office and the high school prompted authorities to bring in explosives experts and bomb-sniffing dogs.