Whitefish man faces charges for explosives

A man arrested last August outside the Whitefish Police Department with a homemade explosive device now faces federal weapons charges.

Andrew Scott Benningfield, 36, of Whitefish, pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court last week to possession of a destructive device, possession of a firearm or destructive device without a serial number, and possession of ammunition.

Because he was committed to a mental institution in the past, it is illegal for Benningfield to possess a firearm or ammunition, according to the federal indictment.

If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison, supervised release, and a $500,000 fine.

After the federal indictment was handed down, the Flathead County Attorney's Office dismissed local charges for the August incident. Benningfield's three-day trial in Flathead County District Court was scheduled to begin Monday.

According to court documents, officers in the Whitefish Police Department heard a loud banging noise from outside the back door about 9 p.m. on Aug. 10.

Upon exiting the building, they saw a trash can had been knocked over and a lone man walking away with something in his hand.

Officers arrested Benningfield for disorderly conduct and criminal mischief after he admitted to pushing the can aside, reportedly because it was in his way.

Benningfield then complained about getting harassed by law enforcement and said he was getting even, according to court documents.

Authorities confiscated the object Benningfield was carrying, a short length of metal pipe held by a vice grip with a cap and what appeared to be a firing pin on one end and a piece of cloth on the other.

Officers also found Benningfield's truck, which was parked illegally in the department's lot, as if positioned for a quick getaway, investigators noted.

The next day, investigators obtained a search warrant for the truck and the court's permission to dismantle what they believed to be a pipe bomb.

When the device was disassembled, federal explosives experts identified it as a directional mine, or a homemade gun. Inside the pipe was a live .30-30-caliber round held by a piece of rubber hosing. A broken drill bit was positioned directly over the primer.

Upon searching the truck, investigators found two more cartridges with the rubber hosing already in place. Also found were 96 other rounds of ammunition and tools that could have been used to manufacture the device.

Flathead County charges initially were filed in August, but a U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives analysis of the device prompted prosecutors to amend the charges in early January. Benningfield then pleaded not guilty in Flathead County District Court to possession of explosives before the charge was dropped in favor of federal prosecution.

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com