Morris Co. Man Who Set Off Bomb Faces More Charges: Officials

LANDING, NJ — A Morris County man previously accused of showing a bomb to a woman at her home and then detonating it in a nearby lake now faces several federal charges, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Christopher Faschan, 31, of Landing, was arrested this week on federal charges stemming from an early-February bomb detonation near Lake Lackawanna in Stanhope. He was previously arrested on a number of state charges.

Faschan is accused of driving to a woman's Stanhope home on Feb. 1 and showing her a homemade bomb. The woman told police that Faschan said "this may be a good area to let this thing off," and then left the area. Faschan then called the woman and reportedly said of the bomb, "That’s something that could easily be put under someone’s car, not that I would do that or anything," Carpenito said.

Three days later, Faschan admitted to law enforcement officers that he had detonated the bomb, describing it as a two pound bomb made with several types of chemicals, Carpenito said. Faschan also said he had other bombs; officials say they found explosives, precursor materials, weapons, and ammunition.

Faschan now faces charges of possession of numerous explosive/destructive devices, possession of precursor materials, and being a felon in possession of explosive materials, Carpenito said. He had previously been charged with possession of an explosive device with the purpose to use it unlawfully, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, and possession of an explosive device.