Man jailed for possessing fake bombs, pleads not guilty
GREENCASTLE -- A Greencastle man was in court Monday for an initial hearing after he was arrested Friday for possessing fake bombs.
Police were called to the home of Robert Brian Elmore, 42, late Friday afternoon.
"We got some phone calls that (Elmore) was potentially making meth and maybe bombs," said Putnam County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Doug Nally.
Several police units were dispatched. Nally said no drugs were found on the premises, but that two fake bombs were discovered.
"They were made to look real," Nally said. "One was similar in appearance to a pipe bomb. The other was basically a canister with wires and stuff coming out of it that looked like it could possibly be detonated by some means."
Nally was hesitant to go into too much detail, and would say only that Elmore was the subject of an "ongoing investigation."
"There may be an element of intimidation," Nally said. "But to our knowledge, there hadn't been any threats made to anyone. (Elmore) had a purpose, but we don't believe anything he was planning to do was going to be aimed at the general public."
Elmore was arrested and charged with two counts of Class D felony possession of a hoax device. At an initial hearing on Monday, Putnam County Superior Court Judge Denny Bridges read the charges, and asked Elmore if the "devices" referred to in the charging information were hoax explosive devices.
Elmore simply shrugged.
A not guilty plea was entered on Elmore's behalf. Elmore told Bridges he had a seasonal job, and that he would not be back to work until April. As such, Elmore said, he would need pauper counsel.
"Once you start working again, you may have to hire your own (counsel)," Bridges said.
Bridges assigned Public Defender Scott Adams to Elmore's case.
Putnam County Deputy Prosecutor Jim Ensley asked that bond for Elmore be set at $20,000 cash only. Bridges set bond at $20,000 with 10 percent authorized or $17,500 surety.
Bridges ordered Elmore to be in court for a pretrial conference on Feb. 11.
Elmore's criminal history includes a 2004 conviction for Class D felony possession of a controlled substance.