Jefferson County Man Admits Possessing Pipe Bomb (DOJ)

ST. LOUIS - A man from Jefferson County, Missouri on Tuesday admitted possessing a pipe bomb.

Robert Hiler, 38, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device.

Hiler admitted that on Sept. 11, 2023, Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputies were seeking another man who had several active felony warrants. They had a court-approved search warrant for Hiler's house, and arrested their target in the woods behind the home. Deputies then obtained Hiler's consent to search the home and found a pipe bomb on a grey bucket in a room adjacent to Hiler's garage. Hiler admitted building the bomb and said he had planned to ignite it with a car battery.

Hiler is scheduled to be sentenced in July. The charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Ware and Mohsen Pasha are prosecuting the case.