Man Detonated IED Explosive At NJ Home Of Former Boss

DELRAN, NJ — A Pennsylvania man admitted to building and detonating an explosive device under a car parked at his former supervisor's home after he was fired in 2025, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Michael Patrick Takacs, Jr., 44, of Warminster, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of transporting an explosive with the knowledge and intent that it would be used to intimidate an individual and used to unlawfully damage and destroy property.

After he was fired in April 2025, Takacs built an improvised explosive device (IED) with chemicals and a remote pyrotechnic control.

He filled the IED with shrapnel, including nails, and brought the bomb from Pennsylvania to the home in Delran in the early morning hours of July 26, 2025.

Takacs removed the plates from his car, left his personal cell phone at home, and wore a mask on his face to conceal his identity, authorities said.

He put the IED under a vehicle parked in the driveway and remotely detonated it to intimidate his former supervisor and to damage the vehicle, officials added.

Nails and bolts flew into nearby homes, but nobody was hurt, according to Action News.

Takacs faces a maximum of 10 years in jail and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for Oct. 8.

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