Man caught with pipe bomb near church playground sentenced to 52 months in prison
A New Mexico man caught with a pipe bomb on a church playground has been sentenced to more than four years in prison.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico released a statement Friday announcing that Nathan Wallace, 41, will face four-and-a-half years in federal prison for possessing a destructive device and ammunition at the playground next to East Mesa Baptist Church in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Wallace was arrested by the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office in May 2023 after authorities found him lingering at the church playground.
When questioned by law enforcement, Wallace admitted that he had a metal pipe container with gunpowder on his person, later determined to be a pipe bomb. “The device was seized by law enforcement and analyzed by a bomb technician, which has a fuse inside,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office explained.
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“Additionally, a search of Wallace’s belongings revealed a 20-gauge Winchester AA High Strength shotgun shell, a motion sensor, two cell phones, and various modified batteries and wires, indicating potential explosive device components,” the statement added.
Federal law prohibits Wallace, a felon with a criminal record stemming from “multiple counts of forgery and possession of explosive devices,” from possessing firearms or ammunition. After his prison sentence concludes, Wallace will be subject to three years of supervised release.
Wallace’s sentencing follows a collaborative investigation conducted by the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office. Speaking to local media after Wallace’s arrest last year, East Mesa Baptist Church Interim Pastor Stephen Kovach expressed confidence that his church was safe from any potential threats.
“We have plenty of security, we have cameras, we have other things, we have alarm system. So, we’re pretty well protected,” he said. At the same time, Kovach noted that “there’s a distinct possibility or probability that this is a hate crime.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not state whether Wallace deliberately targeted the church or how he planned to use the explosive devices. According to New Mexico court records, Wallace has a lengthy criminal record that dates back to 2003.
That year, Wallace pled guilty to using alcohol and drugs as well as “failure to maintain traffic lane.” He was found guilty on four counts of forgery in connection with charges filed in 2004 and ended up serving time in prison.
In 2005, Wallace was found guilty of a felony charge of possession of an explosive or incendiary device and a felony conspiracy charge associated with such possession. He was also charged with violating a prohibition on the receipt, transportation, or possession of a firearm or destructive device by a felon and shoplifting.
Wallace was found guilty of one count of assault with intent to commit a violent felony in 2013. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a household member and larceny between $250 and $500 in October 2022. The cases were dismissed in June 2023.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
