A Florida man has been charged after he allegedly left two radio-controlled explosive devices in bathrooms at a casino in Tampa.
On Wednesday 46-year-old Bryan Robert Eckley was arrested and charged with two counts of making, possessing, throwing, projecting, placing, or discharging any destructive device, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said in a news release.
The investigation began on Sept. 30 in Tampa after Eckley allegedly hid two radio-controlled explosive devices inside two restrooms at the Hard Rock Casino. Luckily an employee found one of the the devices before it detonated and reported it it to authorities.
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The casino was evacuated out of caution, and the Seminole Police Department and Hillsborough County Sheriffs Department bomb squad responded to the scene and deemed both devices as safe.
Investigations began and authorities discovered that three days before the devices were discovered a man was seen behaving very suspiciously at the casino. That man had been driving a “unique” white Ford Explorer, FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said in a news conference.
Investigators determined that Eckley had purchased that vehicle under an alias, used a burner cellphone and paid cash for it. Days before Eckley had also been arrested for aggravated assault with a firearm by Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office.
FDLE forensic analysts were able to tie evidence from that unrelated case to the devices, Glass said. Eckley was arrested on Oct. 30 and booked into the Hillsborough County Jail. The Office of the State Attorney, 13th Judicial Circuit will prosecute the case.
I cant underscore enough that this individual Mr. Eckley, tried everything he could to conceal his identity. He used a mask he used an alias, he used several burner cell phones, he used cash transactions, more importantly the Seminole Hard Rock has a great, great video system and you can see him clearly altering the way he walks throughout the casino to try and throw off any lead that we can garner that way, Glass said.
The incident remains under investigation. Authorities still have not determined Eckley’s motivation to leave the explosives in the casino.
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