Seminole Hard Rock Casino Suspect Arrested in Tampa for Explosives
Posted on: October 31, 2024, 01:40h.
Last updated on: October 31, 2024, 01:51h.
A man was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly placing two explosive devices in Florida’s Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa last month.
Bryan Robert Eckley, 45, of Tampa, Fla. was charged with two counts of making, possessing, throwing, projecting, placing, or discharging a destructive device with the intent to cause harm.
He remained in custody this week in the Hillsborough County Jail. No bond was set. If convicted on the charges, he could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.
Property Evacuated Twice
The devices were placed in a restroom on September 29 and 30. They led authorities to evacuate the property twice within 12 hours.
The devices were described by police as a “crude concealed device with firework components.”
Eckley used a burner cell phone during the incident, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The devices were radio-controlled, added Florida TV station WFLA.
A casino employee located the devices. A bomb squad from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office was alerted and deactivated the devices.
Eckley was masked and slipped away, police said. He was seen in the casino acting suspiciously before the incidents, authorities said, and there’s been no word on why the devices were placed at the casino.
“Eckley did everything he could to hide from law enforcement,” FDLE Tampa Bay Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell said in a recent statement. “But thanks to the exceptional work of this investigative and forensic team, he will be held accountable for his actions.”
Initially, investigators had little evidence to track down a suspect.
All we had that morning was an unknown suspect who placed two devices in a public place, and he might do it again,” Brutnell was quoted by Florida TV station WTVT. “We had zero leads. We had nothing to go on.”
Using surveillance video and analyzing the limited evidence, police tracked down Eckley.
Prior Arrest
On September 27, Eckley was arrested for aggravated assault with a firearm and discharging a firearm on a residential property in Florida’s Hillsborough County in a dispute with another man over politics.
After their initial argument, Eckley went back to the victim’s home armed with two handguns and a rifle, according to the Tampa Bay Times. He allegedly pointed one of the guns at the man and fired a shot into the air.
Eckley, who’s the reported owner of Tampa’s ProTex Roofing, was charged in connection with the incident and the case is pending in local court.
Related News Articles
Aria Resort Employee Allegedly Stole $776K From Workplace for Ritzy Lifestyle
Indiana Casino Robbery Suspect Identified, Booked Into Jail
Most Popular
Last Call for Las Vegas’ Iconic Downtown Cocktail Room
Las Vegas’ Ellis Island Getting All Fancy
VEGAS MYTHS BUSTED: Howard Hughes Lived in The Green House
Las Vegas Strip Attraction Closing After Only 7 Months
Las Vegas Crime News Roundup: Anti-Trump Song Leads to Shooting
Most Commented
-
UPDATE: Giant Naked Donald Trump Removed from Side of Las Vegas Freeway
October 1, 2024 — 17 Comments— -
VEGAS MYTHS RE-BUSTED: Las Vegas is in Imminent Danger of Running Out of Water
September 27, 2024 — 11 Comments— -
LOST VEGAS: Bobby Berosini’s Orangutans
October 2, 2024 — 5 Comments— -
VEGAS MYTHS RE-BUSTED: The Final Resting Place of Whiskey Pete
October 25, 2024 — 3 Comments— -
Las Vegas Expands Zone from Which Judges Can Ban Misdemeanor Criminals
October 2, 2024 — 2 Comments—
No comments yet