Ohio Man is Found Guilty of Charges Related to 2021 Tugboat Explosives

A Marietta Ohio man accused of placing pipe bombs on tugboats along the Ohio River was found guilty of four charges this week in a 2-day trial. Federal prosecutors said Nathaniel Becker was charged after destructive devices were found on two different tugboats in late October 2021. Security footage from Lowes showed Becker with components from the explosive devices and surveillance footage from a Walmart in Marietta showed Becker carrying the bomb materials toward a bridge over the Ohio River, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Investigators believe Becker dropped the bombs from a bridge onto the boats. Sentencing is set for Aug. 18 and Becker faces up to 60 years in prison.