Evanston Man Allegedly Planted Bomb, Called In Tip For Reward
UPDATED 06/20/11 1:43 p.m.
EVANSTON, Ill. (CBS) -- Authorities have charged an Evanston man with planting a bomb behind a police station, then calling in a tip about it in hopes of getting a reward.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Bob Conway reports, Sergio Chaves allegedly left the bomb in a garbage can outside the Evanston Police Department's Howard Street Outpost at 633 Howard St., next to an apartment building.
The Cook County sheriff's bomb squad rendered the device safe Saturday night.
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Chaves now faces federal charges of attempted bombing of public safety officials, said Tom Ahern, spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
"It put a lot of people at risk, including the three officers in the police station at the time," Ahern said.
Authorities believe Chaves acted alone, according to Ahern.
Law-enforcement sources said the improvised device contained explosives from fireworks, as well as nails and glass and was fuse-activated.
Chaves allegedly called in a tip to the Evanston Police Department about the location of the bomb. He identified himself in the call.
Early Sunday, he approached police to claim a reward of a few thousand dollars, sources said. Chaves told police a drug dealer had intended to bomb the station, but his story "didn't add up," a source said.
Chaves has no felony convictions, but he does have a criminal background.
On Dec. 9, 2010, he pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia, and was fined $330 and given six months court supervision. Fourteen months earlier, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal trespass in a building, and agreed to perform 24 hours of community service in exchange for the case being dropped.
Both cases were misdemeanors.
Chaves, wearing an orange jail suit, appeared Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Mason on a charge of possession of an unregistered destructive device. If convicted, Chaves could face up to 10 years in prison. He was ordered held pending a detention hearing Wednesday.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
