August 4th, 2017 by WCBC Radio
A joint investigation by the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Hagerstown City Fire Marshal's Office, Hagerstown Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Maryland State Police, Frederick County Sheriff's Office, Brunswick City Police, Maryland Department of Parole and Probation and the Volusia County Florida Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad has resulted in the arrest of Robert Matthew Schulz (31) after a brief detailed investigation involving the discovery of (two) improvised explosive devices.
On August 1, 2017 at 6:31 p.m., the Hagerstown Fire Marshal's Office responded to 1108 Sunnyside Drive in Hagerstown at the request of the occupant, for suspicious devices located inside a recently acquired 1990 Nissan 240 SX. The occupant, Mr. Zachary Ciampo had just taken possession of the vehicle to sell for parts. During the removal of debris inside the vehicle, Mr. Ciampo discovered the devices inside the car and immediately notified local authorities. Upon arrival of the Hagerstown Fire Marshal's Office, it was determined the devices could potentially be live and the Office of the State Fire Marshal Bomb Squad was requested to the scene. Out of an abundance of caution, multiple homes in the area were temporarily evacuated to ensure the protection and safety of residents. The State Bomb Squad performed diagnostics on the devices and determined it was necessary to perform render-safe procedures on both of the devices at the scene. Once the devices were rendered safe, all evidence was collected for further evaluation.
The subsequent investigation revealed the vehicle was removed from a foreclosed bank-owned property located at 1249 Crescent Road. Deputies made contact with the bank representative of the property and garnered written permission to enter the secured property to look for any potential additional hazards to the community. Investigators located additional items inside a bedroom that replicated the items used to make the discovered devices from the vehicle. Additionally, several official pieces of mail were located having the suspects name in the bedroom. Investigators also determined the previous owner of the property was located in Florida and contact was made with officials in Florida to make contact with the previous property owner for an interview.
The investigation led the team of investigators to Schulz's place of employment in Frederick, where he was taken into custody on a warrant for his arrest without incident. During questioning of Schulz, investigators executed two additional search warrants on his 1996 Toyota 4Runner and his tent located in a campground in Brunswick, Maryland. As result of this investigation, Schulz remains in the Washington County Detention Center without bail. He was charged with Manufacture, Possession and Storage of a Destructive Device and Possession of Explosive/Incendiary Material with Intent. No injuries occurred during this investigation.
"The quick recognition of the potential hazard with these devices by Mr. Ciampo, and his decision to immediately contact local authorities was absolutely appropriate in this incident", stated Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Gregory Der. "This serves as a positive reminder to all members of the public of the National message, "See Something, Say Something".
"ATF's number one priority is to protect the public from the threat of violence," said Daniel L. Board Jr., Special Agent in Charge for the ATF Baltimore Field Division. "This arrest exemplifies the need for ATF to continue working side by side with our local law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals who possess these extremely dangerous devices are apprehended before anyone gets hurt."
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