United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

THREE BURLESON, TEXAS, MEN SENTENCED FOR
POSSESSING UNREGISTERED FIREARM

DALLAS — Three men who attempted to ignite an explosive device at a church under construction in Burleson, Texas, in July 2007, and who each pled guilty to possessing a destructive device, were sentenced yesterday in federal court in Dallas by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper.

Dayton Lee Calaway, 19, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison; Michael Philip Plaisted, Jr., 18, was sentenced to 15 months in prison; and Jered Michael Ragon, 18, was sentenced to 15 months in prison. All have been on bond, but Judge Lindsay ordered that all surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on July 8, 2008 to begin serving their sentence.

According to documents filed in the case, on July 4, 2007, state and federal law enforcement seized a “Molotov cocktail,” that consisted of a liquor-type glass bottle containing a liquid and granular mixture of gasoline and chlorine with a wick made of cloth material protruding out of the bottle mouth from this mixture, which had been placed next to a church under construction in Johnson County, Texas. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined that this destructive device was an incendiary bomb, or similar device. All three defendants admitted that they knowingly manufactured and placed this destructive device next to the church to test it and this destructive device was not registered to any of the defendants in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

U.S. Attorney praised the investigative efforts of the ATF, the Burleson Police Department and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Tromblay.

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