Ohio Man Accused Of Sending Pipe Bomb That Injured Maryland Man

BALTIMORE, MD — An Ohio man has been accused of sending a bomb to a Maryland man who suffered serious injuries, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.

Clayton Alexander McCoy, 30, of Chesterland was charged with transporting explosives with intent to injure and with using, carrying or possessing a destructive device during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Officials accuse McCoy of sending a bomb to the Maryland man on Oct. 30, 2020, according to an affidavit in the case. The unidentified man opened the package and suffered serious injuries and burns, prosecutors said.

McCoy is in federal custody and will make his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court in Cleveland on Friday. He will be taken to Maryland for an appearance in a Baltimore court at a later date.

If McCoy is convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison on the charge of transporting explosives and a mandatory minimum of 30 years and a maximum of life in prison on the charge of using, carrying or possessing a destructive device.

It is not clear if McCoy has retained legal counsel.

The victim's girlfriend told prosecutors that her boyfriend and McCoy were friends through an online video game. McCoy had gotten to know the girlfriend and confessed he had feelings for her, the affidavit said. She told him she valued him as a friend but that she had a partner, prosecutors said.

After the girlfriend turned down McCoy's advances, a package arrived at the boyfriend's house, the affidavit said. The man brought the package into his home and opened the package. A small white box was inside, the affidavit said. A small nail was inserted into the box and was pulled outward, so the boyfriend removed the nail, prosecutors said.

After the nail was removed, a whistling sound came from the box, and it exploded, hitting the man with shrapnel and causing injuries to his chest, legs and the front of his body, prosecutors said. The man was rushed to the hospital. He was released Nov. 17, 2020, and is still in rehab, prosecutors said.

Investigators believed the explosive device was a pipe bomb that contained shrapnel, the affidavit said.

Law enforcement officers searched McCoy's home on Oct. 30, 2020. They determined McCoy had traveled from his home to the victim's home; a pickup truck, similar to the one driven by McCoy's mother was seen in front of the victim's house, the affidavit said.

Investigators also found that McCoy had searched for the victim's address and directions to his home, prosecutors said.