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An armed man arrested in January near the Capitol allegedly had explosives in his truck and was trying to set off a bomb - a device that went undetected for three weeks, officials said Tuesday.
Michael Gorbey, 38, of Rapidan, Va., was arrested Jan. 18 for carrying a loaded shotgun and a sword outside the Capitol. No one was injured in the incident that caused gridlock for hours on Capitol Hill.
Now Gorbey faces charges of planning to set off a bomb, according to an indictment filed in District of Columbia Superior Court. He also is accused of making or transporting an explosive device with the intent of using it against people or property and multiple firearms charges.
Gorbey allegedly tried to manufacture a "weapon of mass destruction, that is, an explosive device capable of causing multiple deaths or serious bodily injuries to multiple persons, or massive destruction of property," according to the indictment.
U.S. Capitol Police discovered the explosive device three weeks after the incident when they returned to the truck in a government parking lot with a search warrant. Officials revealed the potential severity of Gorbey's actions for the first time Tuesday.
Terrance Gainer, the Senate sergeant-at-arms, told The Washington Post the device in Gorbey's truck, which was parked about two blocks from the Capitol, "could have caused serious injuries," if detonated.
Police initially searched Gorbey's truck in January and said there were propane tanks and wires but no immediate danger. They used a robotic camera to look inside the vehicle and a powerful water hose to destroy suspicious items inside. When he was arrested, Gorbey told police he was headed to an appointment at the Supreme Court.
Now U.S. Capitol Police are investigating how their top-rated bomb squad missed the bomb.
The device was made of a can of gunpowder taped to a box of shotgun shells and a bottle with buckshot or BB pellets, according to court documents.
Gorbey has been jailed since January. He has pleaded not guilty and has said he plans to defend himself at his trial, which is set to begin April 21.
Court records show Gorbey is a convicted felon and has been in and out of prison since 1991 for convictions on larceny, domestic violence and illegal gun and drug charges.
The additional counts
come three weeks after the bomb squad said public safety was not in danger.Whenever we're dealing with public safety. We have to put our best people on right jobs.",which was not issued untilFebruary8th.
"That's kind of scary," said D.C. Resident Faye Gray.
"I think someone should have checked because that's their job. You check the whole truck," said D.C. resident Rick Bermudez. "
Capitol police insist the device was never in imminent danger of exploding and that the scene had been deemed safe and secure before being cleared.
A department spokeswoman adds that following the preliminary search of the truck, investigators then had to obtain a search warrant to examine the vehicle more thoroughly
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