MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — An Irondale man who pleaded guilty to setting off an explosive device outside the Alabama Attorney General’s Office earlier this year has been sentenced to nearly a decade in prison.
Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert, 27, was sentenced to 108 months in prison after pleading guilty to malicious use of an explosive back in August. Originally, Calvert had planned to plead not guilty in the case, but subsequently pleaded guilty and accepting his prison term without the possibility of parole.
“Kyle Calvert attacked the Alabama Attorney General’s Office with a shrapnel-filled explosive and then fled the scene, but this sentence ensures he will not escape accountability for his crime,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement. “Acts of violence like this one against our public institutions endanger public servants and entire communities, and they must not be tolerated. I am grateful to the FBI, ATF, and our state and local law enforcement partners for ensuring accountability for this attack, and for the work they do every day to protect our communities.”
On Feb. 26, a suspicious package was located near the intersection of Washington Avenue and South Bainbridge Street in downtown Montgomery. Following an investigation, it was determined that the package had been set off in the early morning hours that previous Saturday when no one was near the building.
On April 10, Calvert was developed as a suspect after footage of him walking near the building at the time of the explosion was captured and he was subsequently arrested.
According to his plea agreement filed Aug. 23, Calvert made the explosive device himself using nails, screws and shrapnel. He also admitted that prior to setting off the device, he had placed stickers on different governmental buildings in the area, some including the phrase “Support your local Antifa,” despite claiming to not be involved with any antifascist groups.
The FBI investigated the case with help from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
