From Tribune staff reports
MONTGOMERY, Ala.–An Irondale man who was accused of detonating an explosive device outside the Alabama Attorney General’s office building earlier this year changed his plea to guilty last Friday, according to court documents.
26-year-old Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert had been charged with malicious use of an explosive and possession of an unregistered destructive device.
In the early hours of Feb. 24, an explosive device was detonated outside Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office in Montgomery.
No one was injured by the explosion and there was no major damage to any buildings.
According to court documents, investigators found footage from a surveillance camera showing a man wearing a dark jacket and a blue face mask with googles walking around the area near the explosion between 2:50 a.m. and 3:43 a.m.
The man, who was later identified as Calvert, was seen placing one of many stickers on the door of the Alabama State Capitol building before walking toward the Attorney General’s office.
According to court documents, the stickers advocated for various political ideologies and included phrases such as “Support your local Antifa,” “Anti-fascism is community self-defense,” “Eat the rich,” “Never work,” and “Friends don’t let friends become cops.”
Nails added to the explosive device.
Antifa, short for anti-fascists, describes a movement rather than a specific organization, which opposes fascism and far-right ideologies.
Self-described members often hold anarchist, communist, and socialist views, and some have used violence in an attempt to advance their goals.
The footage also captured the explosion, which occurred at 3:42 a.m.
The explosive device was made of a coffee container-like vessel which contained insulation material soaked in a flammable substance, a mortar, firecrackers, and nails, making it more lethal.
The security camera footage then showed Calvert leaving the scene and entering a vehicle, which was registered to him.
The FBI also linked Calvert to the man in the video through a review of his social media.
Calvert had posted a picture of him wearing goggles that were similar to the ones seen in the footage as well as a video of himself detailing a set of stickers he had purchased–16 of which were identical to stickers placed around the Attorney General’s office and the Alabama State Capitol.
Calvert was arrested and charged in April.
He could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine for malicious damage by an explosive.
Calvert could also face 10 years of imprisonment and up to a $10,000 fine for the possession of an unregistered destructive device.
