Las Vegas, Nevada - A felon who admitted to threatening to “blow up the house” was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a 12-inch pipe bomb, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich of the District of Nevada.

Christopher Michael Robinson, 47, of North Las Vegas, was sentenced by United States District Judge Larry Hicks. Robinson pleaded guilty in November 2018, to unlawful possession of a destructive device. He has multiple prior felony convictions in Nevada and Hawaii, including a prior conviction for possessing a pipe bomb.

According to court documents, on January 11, 2018, the North Las Vegas Police Department requested assistance from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, and the FBI. When bomb technicians arrived at the North Las Vegas house, they located and removed a 12-inch pipe bomb in the house. The pipe bomb had a fuse and contained BBs, match heads, and pyrotechnic powder. After the pipe bomb was rendered safe, law enforcement conducted an interview with the resident who stated that he had evicted Robinson for not paying rent. Robinson then threatened to “blow up the house” and placed the pipe bomb in the house and left. Law enforcement found Robinson hiding in a shed at a nearby house. During an interview with law enforcement, Robinson admitted he constructed the pipe bomb and stated that he was currently on parole in Hawaii for previously manufacturing a pipe bomb.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the North Las Vegas Police Department, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Bomb Squad. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Mott prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN.