By Mike Weland
A 57-year-old Addie man faces up to five years in prison and/or up to $5,000 in fines after three finished pipe bombs and material for several more were found in his shop, allegedly intended to be used if an upcoming court hearing in a civil case involving a shared well May 1 doesn’t go his way.
The case against Daniel Peter Floyd, 114 Old Addie Road near Eastport, was prompted by a report made by an acquaintance who told deputies she had seen Floyd making bombs on a workbench after having accompanied to two Ponderay stores where he allegedly bought the materials.
A search by Boundary county Sheriff’s deputies and bomb technicians from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms turned up three metal canisters with fuses. They were taken outside by the bomb technicians and found to contain gunpowder and half-inch steel balls.
Also in the shop was a garbage bag filled with the same type canisters, marbles and additional steel shot.
Neighbors David and Kim Eccles have made numerous complaints with the Sheriff’s Office and have been in court
multiple times since 2018 over continuous alleged violations by Floyd of a well agreement, with Floyd continually shutting off their water and padlocking the pumphouse.
According to David Eccles, Floyd is in default on a court-order before Judge Lamont C. Berecz.
According to Eccles, Floyd has never been stable, and he’s gotten worse and more unpredictable over time.
“My wife has lost 45 pounds in the last year over stress,” David said, “and he stands to forfeit his property. “He told me if it didn’t go his way in court, they wouldn’t find the body parts.”
A status conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 1.
On learning that Floyd had been taken into custody, David said he thought he and his wife could start sleeping easy, be a little more relaxed, especially on learning that the prosecution would be requesting a $100,000 bond.
And at Floyd’s initial appearance before Judge Justin Julian at 10 a.m. Friday, that’s where bond with no conditions was set, along with a no contact order and an order not to go on the Eccles property. But Julian also allowed for a $10,000 bond with the condition that Floyd stay off Old Addie Road.
With that, the Eccles are once again wary, sleeping again with one eye open.
“I think he’d have hard time coming up with $100,000 bond,” David said, “but no trouble at all with a $10,000 bond. And I don’t think he’ll pay too much attention to what the judge says.”
As of this writing, Floyd remains in jail. Preliminary hearing has been set for 1:30 p.m. Friday, April 12, before Judge Julian.