NY Man Arrested For Making Bombs In His Garage After Blowing It Up
December 8, 2015

After Michael O'Neill blew off his leg making bombs, he's facing a long rehabilitation and an even longer prison sentence.

O'Neill is accused of making at least seven bombs at his home. Two weeks ago, one of the explosives inadvertently went off inside the garage. O'Neill was the only one injured and was taken to ECMC where his left leg was amputated. He's been there ever since.

What's the new evidence prosecutors are revealing?

"A series of exhibits that the government felt justified detention of Mr. O'Neill," said U.S. Attorney William Hochul.

Prosecutors released several pictures of some of the explosives O'Neill made. One said nails are inside. Another one contained BB's.

Here's more evidence prosecutors are revealing -- raising questions about whether O'Neill is a racist? Prosecutors say O'Neill, who's a former Niagara County corrections officer, was found with Nazi posters, Confederate flags and other divisive items in his garage.

"Depiction of a certain Ku Klux Klan symbol or picture, it also included a picture of the founder of the Ku Klux Klan, Nathan Bedford Forrest," Hochul said.

"We don't know the import exactly of what these sort of inflammatory items might've mean only to say that they were in the immediate vicinity," said Jack Alsup, an assistant U.S. Attorney.

The home O'Neill operated in is owned by William Ross, the chairman of the Niagara County Legislature. Ross is O'Neill's stepfather and lived at the home. On Wednesday in federal court, O'Neill's mother sat in on her son's detention hearing. She had no comment coming out of court.

Stepdad Ross claims he had absolutely no idea his stepson was storing Nazi memorabilia and other similar items in the garage. O'Neill's lawyer claims he was just building bombs to blow up tree stumps.

Who blows up tree stumps with BBs and nails, again?

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