Carnegie Gets 3 Years for Possession of Destructive Device – InkFreeNews.com

By Liz Adkins
NewsInkFreeNews

WARSAW — A man from Mentone will serve three years in prison for possession of a destructive device.

Vincent Michael Carnegie, 34, 4961 S. Mallard Road, Mentone, was charged with possession of a destructive device, a fifth-degree felony. Two additional criminal charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Carnegie was sentenced in Kosciusko District Court on Monday, July 8.

Kosciusko County District Court Judge Michael Reed sentenced Carnegie to three years in the Indiana Department of Corrections. He has credit for 213 days in prison.

The sentence will be served consecutively to two other criminal cases handled by Carnegie.

During sentencing, prosecutor Brad Voelz said an X-ray of the device showed it contained pins, wires, staples and a spent cartridge. He described the device Carnegie had as “extremely dangerous.”

“Combined with Vincent’s criminal history, I believe this case merits a prison sentence,” Voelz said.

Defense attorney John Barrett said Carnegie has an extensive criminal history, but noted that Carnegie did not intend to intentionally use the device to harm anyone. He said Carnegie had been producing similar devices for the past 15 years as fireworks.

Carnegie said that since he had been living in the country, he and others had been burning tires, throwing cans and devices into piles. He also said that he had been in prison seven times and had noticed that there was no rehabilitation structure.

“Nobody in my area packaged fireworks with stuff like that,” Reed said.

On December 8, 2023, a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a domestic incident. Initial reports indicated that Carnegie was discharging a firearm.

Upon arrival at the scene, officers spoke with Carnegie and asked for permission to search the shed he was living in. Carnegie told officers there was methamphetamine in the shed that did not belong to him and refused to search it.

Officers obtained a search warrant for the shed. While searching a mini-fridge in the shed, officers found an explosive device wrapped in silver duct tape with a fuse sticking out of the top. Carnegie admitted to having the device. Officers immediately cleared the shed and contacted the Elkhart City Police Bomb Disposal Unit.

On X-ray, law enforcement officers found that the device contained shrapnel and various pieces of metal. The bomb squad considered the device destructive and unstable. During disassembly, the device exploded.