U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before the House Judiciary Committee on Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC in June. File Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo
An Alabama man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for detonating an explosive device outside the state attorney general’s office in Montgomery in February, the U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday.
Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert, 27, of Irondale, Ala., was sentenced for the malicious use of an explosive device, the department said. Advertisement
“Kyle Calvert attacked the Alabama attorney general’s office with a shrapnel-filled explosive and then fled the scene, but this sentence ensures he will not escape accountability for his crime,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
“Acts of violence like this one against our public institutions endanger public servants and entire communities, and they must not be tolerated. I am grateful to the FBI, ATF, and our state and local law enforcement partners for ensuring accountability for this attack, and for the work they do every day to protect our communities.”
The Justice Department said Calvert planted the explosive device outside the attorney general’s office in downtown Montgomery during the early morning hours of Feb. 24.
During his plea hearing, Calvert admitted to manufacturing the device, using nails and screws as shrapnel. After positioning the explosive near the attorney general’s office, Calvert lit its fuse and left the area. No injuries were reported, the department said. Advertisement
Before he positioned and detonated the device, Calvert placed stickers advocating for various political ideologies on buildings in downtown Montgomery. Some of the stickers included the phrase “Support your local antifa.” However, Calvert claimed in his plea hearing that he has no affiliation with antifa. Law enforcement arrested Calvert on April 10.
“Today’s sentencing is the final step holding Kyle Calvert accountable for detonating a shrapnel-filled explosive device outside a public office in downtown Montgomery,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in the Justice Department release.
“This case demonstrates the FBI’s continued commitment to working with our partners to bring to justice anyone who attempts violence to injure or intimidate members of our community.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation worked with the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms on the case.
