May trial planned for teen accused in school bombing plot

FLORENCE — A Mount Croghan teen accused of plotting to blow up Chesterfield High School tentatively is scheduled to stand trial in federal court in May.

Public defenders Bill Nettles and Mike Meetze, who are representing 18-year-old Ryan Schallenberger, appeared before U.S. District Judge Bryan Harwell in federal court for pre-trial conference Tuesday.

Both lawyers agreed that more time is needed to prepare for a jury trial.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Buddy Bethea and Rose Mary Parham, who are prosecuting the case, agreed to a continuance.

Harwell told Schallenberger and the lawyers in the case he wants the trial to take place in May, immediately following jury selection.

Because of the large amount of publicity surrounding the case, he wants a state-wide jury panel, Harwell said.

He said he doesn’t want the jurors for the Schallenberger trial to be drawn from the same panel for other federal trials that may be held during that term of court.

Bethea told Harwell that once a is jury selected and seated, the actual trial should take about a week to try.

Schallenberger, who was present for Tuesday morning’s conference, was arrested April 19 was charged in a three-count indictment with:

• Receiving and attempting to receive an explosive with the knowledge and intent that it would be used to kill, injure or intimidate an individual, and damage and destroy a building, vehicle, or other real and personal property. If convicted of this charge, he faces a maximum possible prison term of 10 years.
• Attempting to damage and destroy real property owned, possessed or leased to Chesterfield High School and the Chesterfield County School District, by means of fire and an explosive. This crime is punishable by a mandatory minimum prison term of five years and a maximum possible term of 20 years.
• Possessing an unregistered destructive device. If convicted of this charge, he faces a maximum possible prison term of 10 years.

A Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent previously testified in a federal court hearing that Schallenberger told deputies during an interview all he wanted to do is die, go to heaven and, when he got there, kill Jesus.

Authorities have said Schallenberger’s parents called police because he had ordered ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer used as in the deadly Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. After authorities were alerted, deputies searched Schallenberger’s home and seized several items, including a hate-filled journal lauding the Columbine killers and an audiotape he left to be played after his death, investigators said.

Schallenberger also is charged by the state with possession of incendiary devices, former 4th Circuit Solicitor Jay Hodge said. If convicted, he faces two to 15 years in prison.