Trial set for Utah man accused in police bomb plot


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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah man charged with wanting to kill police officers and bomb a police station in Tremonton is scheduled to go on trial in two months.

A federal judge on Monday set the Nov. 24 trial date for John Huggins, 47.

Huggins is charged with possessing an unregistered destructive device, possessing an explosive device and sharing information about making bombs. Huggins kept detailed logs of Tremonton police activity and had explosive materials and a homemade explosive device inside his trailer home, federal investigators said.

He pleaded not guilty in July.

His attorneys have asked a judge to reconsider whether their client should be held behind bars until the trial, saying there's weak evidence against Huggins. A hearing for the judge to consider that motion has not been scheduled.

Federal prosecutors on Monday said they're still waiting for the FBI to finish tests on the evidence before it can be shared with Huggins' legal team. Test results from the chemicals and the explosive devices will not be ready until mid-October, Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Choate said.

Prosecutors are also waiting for new evidence from Huggins computer, which has been sent to a forensic lab, he said. Choate would not go into details about the computer, which he said is a separate matter sealed by the court.

When the computer evidence is ready, prosecutors will share that with Huggins' attorney to see if they can work out some kind of deal, Choate said.

Defense attorney Adam Bridge declined to comment on the case or offer information about the computer issue.

According to court documents, a "concerned citizen" reported early this year that Huggins had threatened to bomb the police department, assassinate officers and blow up bridges to stop emergency responders, according to the charges. Huggins had said he believed the attacks would cause the community to rise up against the government, an FBI agent said.

Prosecutors have not said how far Huggins was from carrying out such a plot.

In July, Huggins met with an undercover FBI agent and police informant at a restaurant in Tremonton. During the meeting, he offered to build and sell explosive devices and bomb-making material, investigators said.

Huggins was arrested soon after.

During a search of Huggins' trailer at an RV park in Tremonton, investigators said they found a homemade explosive device constructed from an energy drink bottle. Huggins also had explosive chemicals, schematics for bombs and videos of explosions, including videos of Huggins apparently blowing up a vehicle, according to court records.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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MICHELLE L. PRICE

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