A Long Island man has been indicted for an alleged sinister plot to set off homemade bombs he’d stashed across New York City – even boasting online, “Who wants me to go out to play like no tomorrow?”
Michael Gann, 55, of Inwood, is accused of building at least seven improvised explosive devices last month with chemicals that he’d bought online, federal prosecutors said as he was indicted Tuesday.
After allegedly manufacturing the explosives — including some with shotgun shells — Gann then scattered the devices on apartment building rooftops in SoHo — and even tossed one on the subway tracks on the Williamsburg Bridge, according to the feds.
He was found with one of the devices when he was nabbed in SoHo on June 5 — just hours after he’d posted on Instagram: “Who wants me to go out to play like no tomorrow?”
One of the IEDs he built allegedly contained roughly 30 grams of explosive powder —approximately 600 times the legal limit for consumer fireworks, according to the indictment.
“As alleged, Michael Gann built explosive devices, stored them on a rooftop in SoHo, and threw one onto the subway tracks—putting countless lives at risk,” US Attorney Jay Clayton said.
“Thanks to swift work by our law enforcement partners, no one was harmed. That vigilance assuredly prevented a tragedy in New York.”
Gann is accused of buying up the explosive chemicals online in May, the indictment charges.
He allegedly ordered approximately two pounds of potassium perchlorate and one pound of aluminum powder, as well as more than 200 cardboard tubes and over 50 feet of fuses.
Gann started assembling the IEDs the following month, authorities said.
He also carried out a slew of internet searches related to explosives and firearms around that time – including “clorine [sic] bomb,” “1/2 stick dynamite” and “how to make flash powder from household items,” the feds alleged.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said a coordinated law enforcement effort thwarted his alleged plot.
“This defendant allegedly stockpiled homemade explosives and traveled to New York City with these deadly devices,” Tisch said.
“He threw one of these devices onto an active subway track and stored others on the rooftop of a residential building, but because of the skilled investigative work and swift response from the NYPD and our partners, we were able to intervene before he caused any harm.”
Gann was charged with attempted destruction of property by means of explosives, transportation of explosive materials, and unlawful possession of destructive devices.
If convicted on all three counts, he could face a maximum of 40 years in prison with consecutive sentences.
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