All explosives stolen from midstate pipeline worksite believed recovered
A blasting cap. About 400 blasting caps were taken in the theft from a Marietta pipeline site. (Photo: The News Journal file)
(Marietta) — Investigators believe they have recovered all the missing explosives from a pipeline construction site in Marietta, Lancaster County, after conducting 250-plus interviews Saturday in addition to the approximately 300 previously completed.
Last Monday, the Gregory General Contracting Company reported a large theft of approximately 704 pounds of dynamite and 400 blasting caps from a pipeline worksite in Marietta. The ATF announced in a news release that 640 pounds of dynamite had been stolen from Gregory General Contracting Co. in Marietta. Later, the ATF updated the quantity of dynamite that was missing to 704 pounds.
The inventory confirmed 16 cases of dynamite were missing. Each case holds 40 cartridges (or sticks) weighing 1.1 pounds each, the ATF said. Also missing were 400 blasting caps.
The federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms first offered a $10,000 for information that would lead to the prosecution of those responsible, and later in the week doubled it to $20,000.
Explosives were recovered on Friday.
Construction of the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline in Lancaster County. (Marie Cusick/StateImpact Pennsylvania).
ATF agents Saturday conducted an additional search of the area where the explosives were recovered the day before, employing both ATF Explosives Detection Canine, Hamlet, and well as Pennsylvania State Police air support. No additional explosives were recovered.
“After analyzing information from the interviews,” investigators are increasingly confident that the original amount of explosives reported as stolen was erroneous,” according to a news release Saturday night. “ATF is continuing to work on confirming the discrepancy, however, we are increasingly confident that all stolen explosive materials have been recovered. The investigation is ongoing and I will continue to provide updates whenever possible,” according to Charlene Hennessy, ATF Special Agent, public information office, Philadelphia Field Division.
The ATF is still offering $20,000 for information that leads to the recovery of the stolen explosives and/or the arrest and conviction of those responsible, according to a bureau news release.
State Police and the Susquehanna Regional Police Department are also involved in the case.
The explosives were stored inside a locked, truck trailer which was left on site after workers left on Friday, April 13, the release states. The worksite security company did not discover the theft until Monday, after noticing that the trailer door was ajar with the locks missing.
This story comes to us through a partnership between WITF and The Lebanon Daily News.
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