Authorities in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, have arrested Timothy Sheaffer, a 40-year-old man from Columbia, for allegedly possessing over a dozen pipe bombs. Sheaffer, who has a history of drug convictions and protection-from-abuse (PFA) order violations, was found with 14 homemade pipe bombs in a safe at a home in Newmanstown. The discovery led to an evacuation of nearby homes.
According to Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf, Sheaffer has multiple convictions for drug offenses in Berks, Lancaster, and Chester counties. He also has four prior convictions for violating PFA orders in 2017. The night before the bombs were found, a woman reported a potential PFA violation by Sheaffer to law enforcement.
The pipe bombs were discovered after police were informed by a woman that Sheaffer had a safe containing explosives in the garage of a home where she and her five children lived. The State Police Bomb Squad and other emergency teams secured the area and evacuated residents within a quarter-mile radius. Upon opening the safe, police found 14 pipe bombs with sophisticated construction, some capable of remote detonation.
Sheaffer is currently facing charges of weapons of mass destruction, risking catastrophe, and recklessly endangering another person. If convicted, he could face significant prison time, with a minimum of seven to ten months for the weapons charge alone. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday (September 18).
Sheaffer remains in Lebanon County Prison with bail set at $250,000. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities continue to assess the potential risks posed by the explosives.