Joshua W. Stearman, a 42-year-old resident of Anderson, Indiana, has been sentenced to 65 months in federal prison with an additional three years of supervised release after being found guilty of unlawfully possessing incendiary bombs and impersonating a federal officer.
The incident began on December 12, 2023, when Ingalls Police responded to a suspicious person report near a home that had previously been the target of vandalism and arson. A witness reported seeing Stearman approach the residence carrying an object before leaving in a red Toyota RAV4 as security lights activated. Officers stopped the vehicle shortly after and found Stearman wearing black gloves with duct tape on his wrists. He presented both his driver’s license and a counterfeit government identification card, claiming he was a Homeland Security Officer returning from a mission.
A search of Stearman's vehicle revealed four bottles filled with gasoline, each equipped with cloth wicks and wood pieces, as well as a lighter. At trial, experts from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) testified that these bottles were incendiary bombs designed to start fires upon impact. A forensic chemist confirmed the presence of gasoline in each bottle.
Possession of such devices is prohibited under federal law regulating destructive devices.
“This defendant not only endangered lives by bringing homemade firebombs into a residential neighborhood but also sought to evade detection by impersonating a Homeland Security officer,” said Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Thanks to the swift actions of local law enforcement and the expert analysis of our federal partners, this dangerous individual was stopped before he could carry out a potentially deadly attack.”
The investigation involved the ATF and Ingalls Police Department with support from Lapel Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security. U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt handed down the sentence.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler expressed appreciation for Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nate Walter for prosecuting the case.
