NORTHAMPTON — An Easthampton man facing 61 criminal counts for allegedly detonating explosives will tentatively go to trial in March.
Bryan O. Desmarais, 42, of 36 Ridgewood Terrace, has denied charges that he detonated multiple explosives in the area of Lower Mill Pond in Easthampton on the night of the Super Bowl.
Desmarais pleaded not guilty in Hampshire Superior Court on May 9 to 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.
Police and prosecutors have not commented on why Desmarais had the explosives or what he was doing or planning to do with them.
Desmarais was arrested Feb. 16 after a multi-agency investigation began on Feb. 5. At that time, 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.
Easthampton Police, Massachusetts State Police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives later executed a search warrant at 142 Pleasant St., Suite 104A, which Desmarais rented for his fishing lure business, Bustin’ Bass Baits. In the suite, investigators found a large amount of explosives and materials, police said.
Desmarais has been in custody since February. He is being held on $150,000. His attorney Alan Rubin and a prosecutor initially agreed to waive a dangerousness hearing and to automatically hold him without the right to bail.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.