There was a man from Michigan who was accused of planting pipe bombs outside AT&T and Verizon stores and leaving threatening letters at area cell towers was angry over "all of the immoral content, including pornography, on phones and cable television," according to a criminal complaint filed in Detroit federal court late last year.
John Douglas Allen, 75, is facing charges of extortion and attempted damage or destruction of buildings used in interstate commerce, the filing states. He was arrested recently, Justice Department spokeswoman Breane Warner confirmed to The Daily Beast.
"Our office will not be offering any comment besides what is already on the public record at this time," Warner said.
If convicted, Allen, a retired miner—whose own cell service is provided by Verizon, according to public records—faces up to 20 years in prison. Reached by phone, Allen’s lawyer, Stevens J. Jacobs, declined to provide The Daily Beast with a statement or comment on the case.
Allen’s arrest came less than a week after improvised explosive devices were discovered at a Verizon store in Cheboygan, Michigan and an AT&T store in Sault Ste. Marie. They had been placed in U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail boxes, which were sealed with black duct tape.
Each of the IEDs "consisted of a metal pipe nipple with two metal end caps," and contained "metal spheres and nails," according to the complaint.
"Hardened objects such as these enhance the explosive effect, propelling fragments of metal outwards at high velocities which can cause additional damage and injuries," states the complaint.