Anderson, South Carolina—- US acting prosecutor M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Michael Lambert Seabrooke, 37, former Barnwell, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of explosive devices and two counts of damage. and attempted damage through explosive materials.
The evidence presented in court established that on July 7, 2019, a Pickens Police Department officer, after hearing an explosion, located a destructive device in a fenced-in area of Pickens County Court located at 214 East Main Street in Pickens . The device had detonated and caused minor damage to the building, but no injuries were reported. A preliminary investigation indicated that the device was made up of two metal tube pumps attached by a belt to a propane cylinder with the valve in the open position. The tubular bombs detonated, but did not ignite the propane. During a search of the area, police recovered items from the site, including galvanized metal tubes, pieces of pipe caps, black plastic bag material, green plastic bag material, propane cylinder and propane cylinder hose.
Several law enforcement agencies worked together on the investigation to promptly locate the responsible person. During the investigation, a surveillance video was obtained from nearby companies. In the video, a Chevy Silverado pickup with a South Carolina license plate was identified as a suspicious vehicle. The vehicle was registered in Columbia; and on July 9, 2019, the vehicle was located in front of a residence at that location. Federal agents kept vigilance over the vehicle until contact was made with a guy who was walking to the truck. An official from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Task Force approached the man and identified the subject as Michael Seabrooke.
During an interview, Seabrooke confessed to federal agents that he placed the device in the Pickens County Court and that he also threw various destructive devices on the roof of the Department of Social Services building in Pickens. The agents obtained Seabrooke’s consent to search his truck and the bomb squad located two metal bombs and two incendiary devices (Molotov cocktails) inside the vehicle. During a search of his home and vehicle, agents located materials consistent with those found in the explosive devices.
The agents also went to the Social Services Department building in Pickens, where they recovered additional explosive devices consisting of three Molotov cocktails and a detonated bomb that caused minimal damage.
During his interview, Seabrooke cooperated fully with law enforcement authorities and indicated that he placed the devices and acted because he was concerned about problems with the Department of Social Services and his family.
United States District Court Judge Timothy M. Cain sentenced Seabrooke to 144 months in federal prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, the Pickens Police Department, the FBI and the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). US Attorney Attorney Max Cauthen handled the case.
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