

Federal agents call explosives case 'significant'

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Updated: 2/01/2013 9:16 am Published: 1/31/2013 9:47 pm

Grenades, booby traps and potentially dangerous materials stockpiled in a South Tulsa apartment.

FOX23 News was the first on the scene in the 6500 block of S. 109th East Avenue at the Greens of Bedford in South Tulsa Wednesday night.


Officers responded to Carter’s apartment after someone called about a fight possibly involving a pipe. When officers arrived and were allowed inside they found explosive devices in plain site.

As the Tulsa Police Bomb Squad backed the bomb proof container into the complex, neighbors watched in disbelief.

"Should we be evacuating, I didn't know what to think,” said Mattlock London.

Officers found grenades, homemade bombs, chemicals and almost two dozen booby traps in Richard Carter’s apartment, the same building where London lives.

“It's crazy, I never would have thought someone in my apartment complex would have such a thing,” said neighbor Jose Ascota.

Neighbors tell FOX23 News they heard an explosion earlier this week but didn’t think they were in danger.

Federal agents say some of the explosives could have blown up at any time.

“I'm very glad for the person who called 911 last night because that could have gone off and we would have been gone,” said Ligia Mendez.

Federal agents do not know what Carter’s intent may have been but they say Carter knew what he was doing.

“Someone hurt or someone killed, they are still hurt or killed. They are not going to say they were just experimenting so I guess it's okay. It doesn't matter someone is still hurt,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent Paul Vanderplow.

Agents do not believe Carter had specific targets but cannot profile what type of bomb maker Carter may have been.

In Oklahoma ATF considers three profiles for bomb makers:

Experimental, people who like to play and blow up things. There are also those with criminal intent such as terrorists. Finally a person who is paranoid or someone who believes there is a government conspiracy.

Meantime, FOX23 News went to the Greens of Bedford leasing office and the property manager would not answer questions on how they are responding to this incident, “no comment.” FOX23 News was referred to the Case and Associate Corporate Office but no one returned the call.

"I want to move out. I have a family to worry about. I know there are bad guys everywhere but you never think living next door,” said Mendez.

The ATF is working to file federal charges against Carter. He is being held on $50,00 bond on state explosive charges.  

A check of his criminal background in Oklahoma found a no contest plea to a domestic assault and battery charge in 1997 in Tulsa County.

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t town253 - 2/1/2013 11:46 AM
0 Votes
I dont understand if it was so dangerous and the explosives could go off at any time why they didnt evacuate the building. Blah blah blah.......

Unwashed Mass - 2/1/2013 11:29 AM
1 Vote
The pictures showed animal traps, not "booby traps", and the "grenades" were inert, non-functional paperweights you can buy from army surplus stores. It sounds like the authorities are making a mountain out of a molehill.

GodsGutterPunk - 2/1/2013 10:55 AM
0 Votes
as a matter of fact I see it like this , what if I were to say hitler had such and such color eyes so anyone with the same color eyes is a potinetal homicidal genacidial maniaic, you be stupid to believe it ,

GodsGutterPunk - 2/1/2013 10:36 AM
0 Votes
and just to bring this up governemt conspirsys are so widely believed they evn have shows about it and speicals on cable channels, on, things like the J.K.F files being locked for yet another 50 years.what evrybody that watched those shows is a danger,

GodsGutterPunk - 2/1/2013 9:48 AM
1 Vote
man I hate when they generalize the word paranoia, I'm diginosed paranoid , but know for a fact I would never even get close to something I thought would blow up, let alone do something that would allow anyone to lock me up, I see the use of this word in this story as yet another sad attempt to scare people of anyone diginosed with this diability, want people to stop being paranoid , stop arresting them on phony charges, and forcing them onto medications that could cause sudden death for no appearant reason, or calling the police on them cause they look different or act different, tell me again dunshee how free I am .this is one of the reasons mental health is still in the dark ages , I guess I should just be happy they haven't labotomized me .funny how they can use it aginst me at every turn , but I can't use it in my own deffence, one of the reasons I can't hold a job I've been done crooked so many times I'm allways to busy looking for they next person trying, to do anything else
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