Walton County, Fla. (WMBB) – A regular traffic stop in Walton County late Monday night saw two pipe bombs found inside a vehicle, and a Defuniak Springs man was arrested on multiple felony charges.
According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, lawmakers stopped the vehicle at the intersection of Smith Road and Highway 90. The driver, later identified as 37-year-old Benjamin Adam Roach, told deputies initially that he had no ID. A birth certificate found in the vehicle confirmed his identity.
Further investigation revealed methamphetamine and drug-related equipment in the car. When the agent carried out the vehicle inventory, they found two suspicious cylinder-type objects. One was a capped PVC pipe and the other was a black cylinder that was very tapered.
When asked, Roach admitted that both devices contained gunpowder. He initially denied the existence of Hughes, but later admitted that there was one of the objects.
Authorities immediately contacted the Bay County Bombs and the Alcohol Department, cigarettes, firearms and explosives. After a joint investigation, the bombers confirmed that the object was a functional pipe bomb and safely disarmed it.
Roach was arrested and taken to the Walton County Jail. He faces a variety of felony charges, including creating a bomb, possession of explosives, possession of controlled substances, tampering with evidence, possession of drug paraphernalia, and more. As of Tuesday morning, no bonds had been issued.
The investigation is still underway.
