Clover, SC man guilty of having explosive after buying bomb-making chemicals online, feds say
A South Carolina felon has pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of an explosive device after police found bomb-making chemicals and materials in his home, according to prosecutors and court records.
Eli Gage Eason, 23, of Clover, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a single count of a felon in possession of a destructive device, court records show. Eason pleaded guilty to possession of a jar of chemical powder and a fuse system, said DeWayne Pearson, the assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted the case.
Eason was arrested in June 2020 after police received a tip that Eason was ordering chemicals and components, Pearson said.
A search of Eason’s York County home found chemicals that can be used for making an Improvised Explosive Device, commonly called an IED, Pearson said.
“These were chemicals used in the production of explosive devices,” Pearson said after court.
The search at Eason’s home involved dozens of police and agencies, including the FBI, ATF, S.C. National Guard, York County Sheriff’s Office, York County SWAT, and the Clover Police Department.
Prosecutor: No terrorism ties
The investigation by federal and York County officials did not find that Eason had any connection to terrorism or any terrorist group.
“The investigation did not find evidence of extremist groups,” Pearson said.
The investigation found Eason did not use the materials and no one was harmed, Pearson said.
Suspect banned from weapons by criminal record
Eason has convictions in South Carolina from 2017 for first-degree assault and battery and malicious damage to a courthouse or jail, York County records show.
The previous conviction bans Eason from having weapons or ammunition under federal law, Pearson said.
The federal conviction carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, according to a plea agreement court record signed by Eason and prosecutors.
Eason remains in federal custody after his guilty plea, records show. Sentencing is scheduled for November, after a pre-sentencing report is done by federal officials.
Efforts to reach Eason’s lawyer, Stephen Schusterman of Rock Hill, were unsuccessful Thursday.
This story was originally published July 22, 2021 at 2:56 PM with the headline "Clover, SC man guilty of having explosive after buying bomb-making chemicals online, feds say."
