ROCHESTER, NY - A Niagara Falls man was sentenced to 30 months in prison after he was convicted of unlawful possession of a destructive device.
Back in July of 2015, the Niagara County Sheriff's Office responded to a 911 call regarding an injury in Wheatfield. When they arrived on the scene, emergency personnel found 47-year-old Michael O'Neill, of Niagara Falls, with a badly injured leg. He was taken by Mercy flight to ECMC, where his left leg was amputated below the knee.
When the Erie County Bomb Squad entered the garage of the residence, they discovered explosive powder and BB pellets, among other things. The garage appeared to be an area where explosive devices were being manufactured.
O'Neill told investigators he was making "something" that ignited and then exploded when he tried to stomp it out.
U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford sentenced him to 30 months in prison on Monday.