Man indicted in federal court for allegedly possessing bomb

A Moses Lake man was indicted Tuesday in U.S. District Court for unlawfully possessing an unregistered firearm/destructive device.

Timothy Richard Ray Riggins, 32, allegedly assaulted a woman, stole her vehicle and had a bomb on Nov. 3, 2019, according to a release from the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington. The woman said the explosive was in a fanny pack and she was worried about a mutual friend’s safety.

The Moses Lake Police Department responded, and knew Riggins was in the Norteno criminal street gang, the release stated. Riggins also had a felony warrant from the Department of Corrections.

Police found the woman’s vehicle and Riggins was in a nearby home. A warrant search allowed police to find him in a top-loading washing machine in a room.

Along Riggins’ route from the vehicle to the home, police found a fanny pack with “an operable improvised destructive device,” or “a large commercial firework with more than 20 nails taped to the outside with a large fuse.” Two more similar devices were found near the fanny pack, the release stated.

Officials under the umbrella of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program are investigating the case. PSN includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies collaborating to identify, investigate and prosecute those involved in violent crimes in neighborhoods. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with the same entities, as well as tribal law enforcement to pursue prosecution.

The Spokane Resident Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Moses Lake Police Department are investigating the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Baunsgard is prosecuting.