College break was an eruptive experience for two brothers in Pennsylvania. The conniving siblings, who happen to be twins, spent their free time creating improvised explosive devices and setting them off around their hometown.
Caleb and Daniel Tate, both 22, have now been charged with arson by possession of explosive devices, arson by explosion, conspiracy and retail theft. Both will be subjected to a preliminary hearing on June 9.
Sinister Gimmick
According to Fox News, the Tate brothers allegedly bombed five locations in Chester and Lancaster counties. Their targets included an Amish phone shed, an Amish produce shed, a mailbox, a wooded area and a well pump shed.
"Improvised explosive devices are not harmless firecrackers," said Essam Rabadi, the special agent-in-charge of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "They are dangerous, destructive and can be very deadly."
Fortunately, the bombings did not result in a single death. Police said the target zones remained mostly unoccupied during the Tates' 11-day bombing spree. Forensic investigation found that the IEDs went off early in the morning.
'We live in a world where the thought of bombs exploding around us is a very real fear,' Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan told Daily Mail. "These defendants brought that fear to our region during a two-week crime spree where they detonated multiple IEDs."
Other Crimes
The Tates were also booked for retail theft. The brothers allegedly stole common hardware materials like fuel containers, propane canisters and metal tubes to create the IEDs. The items were said to be stolen from Walmart and other convenience stores. However, not all materials were illegally picked up as some of them were bought with Daniel's credit card.
Authorities revealed that this wasn't the first time the brothers had a scuffle with the law. Court records showed that the Tates have already been charged with prowling at night, loitering and criminal mischief back in 2014.
