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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man with selfmade explosive gadgets was arrested early Friday close to a Tampa Bay space rally in assist of a person being held in reference to final 12 months’s riot on the U.S. Capitol, authorities mentioned.
Garrett James Smith, 22, of Oldsmar, was arrested and charged with making and possessing a harmful gadget and loitering, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri mentioned throughout a information convention.
To mark the anniversary of the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, the rally was held Thursday evening exterior the Pinellas County Jail was in assist of Jeremy Brown, a member of the rightwing Oath Keepers group. He was being held on costs of taking part within the riot.
The sheriff mentioned Smith was noticed throughout the road from the rally in a parking zone. Deputies mentioned he was operating away from the world, wearing all black along with his face coated. He was initially detained on the loitering cost, and deputies reported discovering a pipe bomb after they searched his backpack. One other explosive was discovered throughout a search of Smith’s residence, officers mentioned.
Smith didn’t place or detonate any of the explosives, officers mentioned. Gualtieri mentioned Smith hasn’t been cooperating with investigators, and his political motivations weren’t instantly clear. Smith was being held on $300,000 bond. Jail information didn’t checklist an legal professional for him.
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