James R. Nelson, a 40-year-old resident of Onarga, Illinois, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for possessing an unregistered destructive device. Following his prison term, Nelson will serve three years of supervised release.
Nelson was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025 and pleaded guilty in October 2025. The sentencing took place on February 23, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce.
During the sentencing hearing, body camera footage from an Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office detective was presented as evidence. The footage showed that during a routine traffic stop, the detective informed Nelson about an outstanding warrant for his arrest on an unrelated matter. Nelson refused to leave his vehicle, leading the detective to try to remove him. At that point, Nelson reached into the back seat and produced a gray cylindrical device, telling the detective it was a bomb.
Nelson did not give up the device and ran through residential neighborhoods with it while attempting to evade law enforcement. He eventually reached his mother’s house and barricaded himself inside for approximately eight hours as police negotiated for his surrender. Law enforcement ultimately entered the attic where Nelson was hiding and arrested him. The device found nearby was later confirmed to be a functional bomb.
The statutory maximum penalty for possession of an unregistered destructive device is ten years in prison and up to three years of supervised release.
The investigation involved the Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Springfield Field Office, with support from the Kankakee County Emergency Response Team and the East Central Illinois Bomb Squad. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Freres prosecuted the case.
