NORTHAMPTON — An Easthampton man accused of detonating explosives has been indicted by a grand jury on 61 counts.
Bryan O. Desmarais, 41, of 36 Ridgewood Terrace, has not yet been arraigned on the counts.
He is charged with 10 counts of unlawful secreting or placing of an incendiary device, nine counts of unlawful explosion of a destructive or incendiary device, single counts of attempted unlawful explosion of a destructive or incendiary device, attempted possession of a large-capacity weapon, attempted possession of a machine gun and unlawful possession of an incendiary device or material, as well as 38 counts of unlawful possession of a large-capacity feeding device.
The Hampshire Superior Court grand jury handed up the indictment Tuesday.
Desmarais was arrested Feb. 16 and pleaded not guilty the following day in Northampton District Court on charges of possession of ammunition without a license, possession or control of an incendiary device, possession of explosives, and throwing, placing or exploding explosives.
He has been in police custody since his arraignment after his attorney Alan Rubin and the prosecutor agreed to waive a dangerousness hearing and to automatically hold him without the right to bail.
Desmarais also underwent an evaluation at Hampshire Jail and House of Correction, where he was deemed competent to face the charges.
A gag order on the case was issued at the Feb. 20 hearing. This means anyone with direct ties to the case is barred from speaking about it to members of the news media or the public.
A multi-agency investigation into Desmarais began on Feb. 5 when Easthampton Police received reports of multiple explosions by Lower Mill Pond. Investigators found nine detonated explosive devices as well as one unexploded device along the pond’s southerly bank.
A special agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was able to find the manufacturer of the firing module and contacted the business office in China, according to a narrative written by Easthampton Police Detective Eric Alexander.
Police gained sales history information for purchases made in Massachusetts during the last year, Alexander reported. One purchase was made from Leominster and the other was Desmarais, who had two shipments containing a total of 13 fire modules sent to his business address on Pleasant Street at the Brickyard mill building.
On Feb. 16, Easthampton Police, Massachusetts State Police and the ATF executed a search warrant at 142 Pleasant St., Suite 104A, rented space for Desmarais’s fishing lure business, Bustin’ Bass Baits. In the suite, investigators found a large amount of explosives and materials, police said. Desmarais was arrested that day.
Another search warrant was executed at his home on Ridgewood Terrace, across the street from the mill buildings. Easthampton Police said nothing dangerous was found in the second search.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com. Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.