April 17, 2023 at 10:53 a.m.
$100,000 cash bond set for man charged with possession of improvised explosives
By River News Staff-
In a complaint filed in Oneida County Circuit Court Wednesday, Zachary William Ames is charged with felony possession of improvised explosives, two counts of felony bail jumping and one count of possession of THC.
The April 12 filing is Ames's third criminal case in less than five months. He is now facing a total of seven felonies as well as one misdemeanor charge.
On Dec. 6, 2022, Ames was charged with possession of improvised explosives and second degree recklessly endangering safety after a tree in his backyard was reported to be on fire. He later admitted to setting the fire by placing an improvised explosive inside it, according to the complaint.
Despite a bond condition prohibiting possession of explosive implements, Ames was back in court in early January after being charged with felony bail jumping and possession of improvised explosives.
Those charges were filed after police investigated a report of an explosion near Ames's residence during the early morning hours of Jan. 6, 2023.
According to the newest complaint, the case filed last week was also prompted by reports of an explosion in the Alban Street neighborhood, this one at approximately 6:30 a.m. April 10.
After obtaining a search warrant, police found "numerous items" that could be used to make improvised explosives in the basement of the Ames home. Some of the items were hidden in the rafters, according to the complaint.
Also located in the search was a Ninja blender top with what appeared to be explosive powder residue, the complaint states.
Items of drug paraphernalia and a substance later determined to be THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, were also located in the residence, according to a police report attached to the complaint.
Assistant district attorney Mary Sowinski requested a high cash bond.
"Under the circumstances of this case, given that this is third time he has been caught with such devices and there's also evidence of illicit drug use, the state's going to ask for $100,000 cash bail," Sowinski told Branch I circuit judge Mary Burns during a bail hearing Wednesday afternoon.
Sowinski described the defendant's behavior as "obviously potentially hugely dangerous to the public" and argued that he has shown that he cannot obey court orders.
"There is now an incredible incentive for him not to return to court, if he is able to post cash bail, given that there are now three similar cases and we're getting to the point where we're close to trial or at least the final pretrial," she added.
Defense attorney Maggie Hogan argued for a lower bond on the grounds that Ames has not missed any court appearances, which is the main purpose of bail.
She also noted that she has yet to receive any discovery material related to any of the cases.
Burns followed the assistant district attorney's recommendation.
"Here's my issue, this is the third case like this and it's not baseball but it's three strikes and you're out with this sort of charge," she told Ames. "I don't know if you're obsessed with bombs or if you're trying to perfect a bomb that you have some plan or purpose to use, but I'm going to order a 100,000 cash bond. My problem is if you are unreliable in following the court's directives on your other bond conditions in the previous cases, the court expects you'll also be unreliable as far as coming to court for further appearances."
Burns noted the new case will be transferred to Branch II, as Oneida County circuit judge Mike Bloom is presiding over the other two cases.
Ames is due back before Bloom on April 25 at which time Burns advised he could request a bond modification.
"That's up to him (Bloom) but that's my decision for today," she said, adding that as a condition of the newest bond Ames may not possess "any bomb-making materials or anything that vaguely resembles bomb-making materials."
"This is just ridiculous that there's a third charge here," she added.
If convicted of all seven felony charges in all three cases, Ames faces up to 40 years in prison.
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