Chester County Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Unregistered Explosive Devices (DOJ)

PHILADELPHIA - United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Kevin Krebs, 32, of Malvern, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Mary Kay Costello to possession of an unregistered firearm or destructive device.

The defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint in October and charged by information earlier this month.

As detailed in court filings and statements, on June 14, 2025, Krebs was arrested by the West Chester Police Department for carrying a firearm without a license. Two days later, Chester County Detectives executed a state search warrant at Krebs's residence and discovered what appeared to be an improvised explosive device (IED), specifically a pipe bomb, and related materials, in a garage attached to the premises.

Bomb technicians responded, examined the device, and determined that it contained nails and screws, which are frequently placed inside IEDs to serve as shrapnel. As the search continued, investigators located multiple additional IEDs, as well as other explosive materials and related components.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on March 31 and faces a maximum possible term of 10 years' imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by the Chester County District Attorney's Office, FBI Philadelphia's Newtown Square Resident Agency, and the West Chester Police Department, with the assistance of the Montgomery County, FBI, and ATF Bomb Squads, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Frank Menna.