HAMILTON — A Hamilton man faces multiple felony charges after allegedly bringing a homemade pipe bomb to his neighbor's home and attempting to use it as collateral for drug money.
Moicei Matthew Gostevskyh was charged with possession of explosives, possession of a silencer and criminal possession of dangerous drugs, according to court documents filed Thursday in Ravalli County.
The case began on Nov. 5 when a neighbor called 911 to report that Gostevskyh had brought a pipe bomb to his home at the 500 block of W. River Road in Hamilton. The neighbor told Deputy Andrew Wetzsteon that Gostevskyh had visited his trailer on November 3 carrying the explosive device in a white grocery bag.
The neighbor described the bomb as 6 to 7 inches long, made of galvanized pipe with screw caps on both ends and a green fuse inserted on one end. He said Gostevskyh, who uses inhalants to get high, tried to sell the bomb for drug money. When the neighbor declined to buy it, Gostevskyh took it back to his residence next door.
Later that evening, the neighbor called 911 again to report he now had the pipe bomb in his possession. He told Sergeant Nicholas Monaco that Gostevskyh had returned, asking for money to buy inhalants. The neighbor gave him $25 and requested collateral, so Gostevskyh left the pipe bomb and a .22 caliber rifle before leaving on his bicycle.
The Missoula County Explosives Team was called to respond. After examining a photo of the device, they confirmed it was an explosive made of galvanized pipe, approximately 6 to 8 inches long and 1 inch in diameter, with metal screw caps and a fuse.
Gostevskyh was located near the Taco Bell in Hamilton on Thursday, Nov. 6. After being read his Miranda rights, he admitted to making the explosive device from galvanized pipe with screw-cap ends. He said he had waxed the inside of the screw ends, packed the pipe with black powder pellets and fit a fuse tightly into a hole in the pipe.
Gostevskyh acknowledged that if detonated, the bomb would cause significant damage. He confirmed he lived at 509 West River Road and possessed a spool of fuse and black powder pellets in his living room.
The Explosives Team safely collected the pipe bomb for disposal and confirmed it was a functional explosive device.
During a search of Gostevskyh's residence, investigators found a metal cylindrical device with black tape on one end and red wax on the other, which was determined to be a homemade firearm suppressor.
When Gostevskyh was arrested and transported to the Ravalli County Detention Center, Deputy Thomas Hsu discovered a small plastic tube with white powdery residue during a pat-down search. Gostevskyh admitted the tube contained cocaine and that he had recently used it to snort the drug.
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