Chester man indicted in federal court

Accused of delivering bomb to Maryland man

A Chester Township man accused of delivering a bomb to a romantic rival in Maryland has been indicted on four charges stemming from that incident.

Clayton McCoy, 30, was indicted March 25 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland on charges of transporting explosives with the intent to kill, injure, and intimidate; use and possession of a destructive device during and in relation to a crime of violence; felon in possession of an explosive; and possession of an unregistered firearm/destructive device.

The charges stem from an Oct. 30, 2020, incident in Manchester, Maryland., according to court records.

The victim on that day sustained serious injuries and burns consistent with an explosion, after opening a package.

When opening the package, the victim found a smaller white box with a ribbon inside, according to court records. As he opened the smaller white box, a small nail that appeared to be inserted into the white box was pulled outward. When he removed the nail, the victim heard a whistling or hissing sound followed by an explosion.

The victim was struck in the front of his body by shrapnel and sustained injuries to his chest, legs and front of body.

He was transported to the hospital and treated for injuries. He was released from the hospital on Nov. 17 and is continuing with rehabilitation, according to court records.

Investigators and bomb technicians suspect the explosive device was a type of pipe bomb, according to court records.

The victim and the victim’s girlfriend were friends with McCoy through a liveaction role playing game called Dagorhir. According to court records, McCoy allegedly told the victim’s girlfriend he had feelings for her.

She told him that she did not feel the same way and was in a relationship with the victim. They agreed to remain friends.

Search warrants obtained by law enforcement found that in the early morning of Oct. 30, a device associated with McCoy and located at his Chester Township residence, was used to allegedly search for directions to the victim’s home address, according to court records.

McCoy’s cell phone then allegedly traveled from his home to the victim’s and a pickup truck similar to one registered by McCoy’s mother was allegedly seen in front of the victim’s home and depicted on home security video taken that day from a neighbor’s security camera.

A review of McCoy’s online accounts allegedly revealed that the week before the bombing, McCoy searched for the gas tank capacity of a 1994 Toyota pickup, the same make and year of the pickup truck registered to McCoy’s mother.

The criminal complaint against McCoy was filed March 3 and unsealed March 11, according to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

In 2013, McCoy was sentenced in Geauga County Common Pleas Court to four years in prison after pleading guilty to seconddegree felony pandering obscenity involving a minor. He was also registered as a Tier II sex offender.

According to Geauga court records, McCoy was granted judicial release in 2014 and placed on five years of community control sanctions.

Those sanctions were terminated in August 2017, according to court records. McCoy had been compliant with his sanctions, a court document stated.

McCoy