Police: Saylorsburg man had homemade explosive
A Saylorsburg man was committed to the Monroe County Correctional Facility after Pennsylvania State Police found him in possession of a homemade explosive device, marijuana plants and firearms he is prohibited from having.
Roy Richline Jr., 54, is facing two felony counts of possession of a firearm/prohibited; a felony count of weapon of mass destruction — cause evacuation; a felony count of possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, and single misdemeanor counts of make repairs to weapons and reckless endangerment.
According to state police, troopers obtained a search warrant on July 14 for Richline’s property on Mount Eaton Road in Ross Township. Richline, who police said had an active arrest warrant, was found in a shed on the property and taken into custody.
Troopers located scrap metals, including copper, in the shed, along with grounding leads with missing copper and a PPL electric meter. Troopers learned that the PPL meter and copper was stolen from a property in Eldred Township sometime between July of 2021 and November of 2022.
In the basement of Richline‘s property, troopers found a homemade explosive device with a long fuse in a soft cooler. Police evacuated the residence and a special state police unit evaluated the device with X-ray scanning. The device was determined to be a homemade explosive.
The search also turned up eight marijuana plants, multiple types and quantities of ammunition, a rifle, a shotgun, marijuana seeds and a digital scale.
During an interview, Richline admitted that he grows a few marijuana plants on his property and that he was attempting to repair a shotgun in his basement, where he lives.
Richline also claimed that he purchased the homemade explosive from a Pen Argyl man for $20. He did not provide a name for the seller and told police that he previously lit the explosive and it did not detonate so he added a longer lead.
Because Richline was previously convicted of burglary and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, he is not permitted to have a firearm in Pennsylvania.
He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Daniel Kresge and sent to prison in lieu of $75,000 cash bail.