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BUCKHANNON – An Upshur County man was arrested Tuesday after an officer allegedly discovered blasting caps in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
George Carpenter, 42, French Creek, was arrested for illegal possession of destructive devices, explosive materials or incendiary devices, a felony.
According to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s Office filed by investigating officer Cpl. T.R. Collins with the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, on March 5, Collins observed a 1997 gold-colored Jeep Grand Cherokee driving towards Route 151 in Upshur County.
The vehicle pulled on Colorado Avenue, then Anise Lane where Collins initiated a traffic stop for defective equipment, the file says.
When Collins asked the driver for his operator’s license, Carpenter was allegedly unable to produce his license until Collins asked why he did not have it. He began “frantically searching through the middle storage area,” where he was able to locate his license, the police report says.
According to the report, Collins asked Carpenter to step out of the vehicle due to his heavy breathing after searching through the compartment. Carpenter then permitted Collins to search the vehicle. Collins allegedly located two boxes of detonators for an explosive device – also known as blasting caps – in the middle compartment.
Carpenter stated he obtained the blasting caps from a 94-year-old relative and “has been driving around with them for the last year,” according to the report.
Carpenter was placed under arrest and transported to the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office.
