Two Denver-area men were indicted last week on charges of unlawful acts with explosives after allegedly selling more than 500 cartridges of dynamite-like materials and two sawed-off shotguns to undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents.
James Bradley Coet, 48, of Denver and Nathaniel Paul Hailpern, 19, of Arvada reportedly sold the explosives to undercover agents from June 11 though July 2, according to a news release from John Walsh, U.S. attorney for Colorado.
A court indictment alleges that both men knowingly received and dealt explosive materials without a license while being addicted to methamphetamine, a controlled substance, according to the release.
Coet was arrested without incident by ATF agents on Thursday and made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court the next day. He will appear for a detention hearing Wednesday. Hailpern is wanted by authorities.
Coet is charged with five counts of unlawful acts with explosives and one count of possession of firearms required to be registered under the National Firearms Act. Hailpern is charged with four counts of unlawful acts with explosives.
If convicted of the explosives charges, Coet and Hailpern face not more than 10 years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine per count. If Coet is convicted of possessing unregistered firearms, he faces not more than 10 years in federal prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
Sarah Simmons: 303-954-1210, ssimmons@denverpost.com
