The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced on February 7th, 2025, that John Joseph Weikel, a 50-year-old resident of Quakertown, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for possession of an unregistered firearm. United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley delivered the sentence.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the case stems from an incident on June 28, 2021, when Weikel manufactured and possessed two improvised explosive devices inside his former residence in Girardville, Schuylkill County. The devices were hidden behind ceiling tiles in his apartment and were abandoned after his eviction from the property.
The explosives were discovered nearly two years later, on May 31, 2023, by maintenance workers performing routine inspections. Law enforcement agencies responded swiftly to the scene, securing and dismantling the devices. A subsequent analysis by the FBI Laboratory confirmed that the items were, in fact, improvised explosive devices. Federal law prohibits individuals from manufacturing or possessing destructive devices without the proper authorization.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)—Allentown Field Office, in coordination with the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson prosecuted the case.
Our original story from the incident