A Weatherly man faces multiple charges after police recovered explosives and bomb-making materials in his home early Saturday morning.

Patrolman Joshua Silfee of the Weatherly Police Department said Anthony Petrone, 28, was inside the Dollar General Store at 20 W. Main St. on May 1.

Silfee saw Petrone, carrying a backpack, at the checkout counter. Petrone told Silfee how his employer was not paying him the money that was owed to him.

Petrone is known to carry and use narcotics, so Silfee asked if he had any narcotics on him. He said he did not. Silfee then asked Petrone if he could check his backpack to make sure he did not have any contraband inside the backpack.

According to court documents, Silfee found a homemade explosive device (M-Type device) in a compartment. The device was about 12 inches long and 1½ inches in diameter, wrapped in black tape and had each end plugged with hot glue. One end that had a long fuse protruding from it.

Silfee removed the device and placed it in an open field and waited for the Pennsylvania State Police bomb squad to show up.

Pennsylvania State Police Hazardous Device and Explosives Section said the device “was designed to function by explosion. After assembly, lighting the fuse would, after a delay, ignite the explosive powder. Ignition of the explosive powder would generate hot rapidly expanding gases that would rupture the container causing injury or death to (individuals) near the explosion.”

Special Agent Tim Shelton from The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was “the largest homemade M-type device” he has seen in his career. Due to the craftsmanship of the device, Shelton said it was made by someone who has experience.

At around 6:15 a.m. Saturday, members of the Weatherly Police Department and the PSP Hazardous Device and Explosive Section executed a search warrant at Petrone’s home in the 300 block of First Street.

Inside the residence, officers found another bomb (M-Type device) and bomb-making materials to include a grinder with aluminum powder; a white powder in a Gatorade bottle with two fuses in it; Goex black powder; aluminum dark pyro; German Dark bags of aluminum powder; and several pieces of explosive devices.

The PSP Hazardous Device and Explosives Section entered the room and gathered the homemade explosive device and removed it safely.

Petrone said that he learned how to make the explosives from a friend, and that he forgot that the explosive was in his backpack, but later said that he got a new backpack and moved it from his old one into his new one.

Petrone said that he made several devices with his friend, and added that he would order supplies for the bombs over the internet and have them shipped to his house.

Petrone explained to investigators how he and his friend tried to grind aluminum foil down to make it into a powder so they could use it instead of buying it.

Sgt. Michael Bogart asked Petrone if he was the source of the explosions that were going off in town over the span of the last year, to which Petrone said no, but then stated that he may have lit one or two of his homemade devices off in his backyard.

Petrone faces charges on three counts each of risking catastrophe and recklessly endangering another person; and two counts each of prohibited offensive weapons, and weapons of mass destruction - unlawful possession or manufacture.

He is currently incarcerated in the Carbon County Correctional Facility, and scheduled to have a preliminary hearing May 19 before District Judge Joseph D. Homanko of Weatherly. Bail was denied because he is considered a public threat.