No jail time for Norwell man caught with explosives after car blew up
A Norwell man will avoid jail time for possessing explosives found in his home after he accidentally blew up his car while driving in Quincy.
Joseph Brennan Jr., 37, pleaded guilty in Plymouth County Superior Court to six counts related to his possession of explosives. A judge continued the case without a finding and placed him on probation for two years. He also ordered him to pay restitution for the hazmat teams that responded and forbade him from possessing or purchasing any more hazardous materials.
Plymouth County prosecutors wanted him to serve at least 18 months in jail.
Brennan’s stash was discovered after an explosion in his car in Quincy the night of April 11, 2015. Police said Brennan appears to have been driving with bomb-making materials in his car when he lit a cigarette, sparking the explosion.
Brennan’s hands and face were burned, but he was otherwise uninjured.
Hazmat teams then went to his Norwell home, where they found bomb-making components, packing materials and several completed explosive devices, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s office. They also searched the Hingham home of a friend, Benjamin Young, 28, where they found materials used to make homemade explosives.
“Explosive materials found at Mr. Brennan’s home had to be detonated by experts because they were too volatile to transport,” Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said in a statement.
Young was charged in Plymouth County with three counts of having explosives and also had his case continued without a finding.
Brennan is scheduled to go to trial in August on the Norfolk County charges of possessing explosives in his car.
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