Man sentenced to six years for pipe bomb possession
Thomas Asa Harbarger, 57, of Marshall was sentenced to six years in federal prison for possession of a pipe bomb and a stolen truck by U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap.
According to information presented in court, on the night of August 2, 2019, Harbarger was working on a disabled Ford truck on the side of Highway 49 in Cass County when he was approached by Texas State Trooper Wayne Johnson. Johnson determined that the truck had been stolen in Mansfield, Texas and when asked for his identification, Harbarger gave a fictitious name and date of birth of 1990, which would have put him at about 29 years old.
After giving three false names and dates of birth, a trooper noticed a wallet in the truck sitting on the console. The wallet contained two Texas Department of Criminal Justice identification cards that identified Harbarger as a Texas parolee.
Harbarger was subsequently detained, where it was determined he had an outstanding warrant for parole violation in Texas and a warrant for probation violation out of Dallas. As troopers searched the truck, a homemade pipe bomb was recovered from the driver’s side door panel.
According to another local news source, while still on the roadside, Harbarger began to complain of difficulty breathing while still in a trooper’s car, prompting the officers to call for paramedics. Harbarger refused to answer questions from two LifeNet medical personnel. A sternum rub was performed on Harbarger where he then fell over. A second sternum rub was performed where Harbarger then headbutted the paramedic in the left temple area. After being evaluated at the hospital, Harbarger was transported to Cass County Jail.
An examination of the pipe bomb by an Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives expert concluded that the pipe bomb was capable of causing injury or death to a person.
Harbarger pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered destructive device on November 17, 2020 and appeared in court for sentencing on April 15, 2021.