Rock Hill men sentenced in pipe bomb scheme

Two Rock Hill men have been sentenced for their role in a plot todetonate two pipe bombs near a Charlotte school to divert police sothey could rob a credit union.

William Christopher Puckett, 19, was sentenced to seven years andeight months in prison and Edgar Scott Williams, IV, 19 wassentenced to six years and eight months in prison, according to apress release issued by United States Attorney W. Walter Wilkins.

Both Puckett and Williams pleaded guilty last year and testifiedfor the government against two co-defendants, Timothy and StevenEddington, according to the release.

Testimony during the two trials showed that Puckett, Williams andthe Eddingtons conspired to rob the Founders Federal Credit Unionon Commerce Boulevard in Charlotte, on August 23, 2007.

The evidence showed that the men agreed to rob the credit union bymanufacturing two pipe bombs which would be detonated away from thebank near a school or some other public place to divert the policefrom the bank robbery, the release states.

On the morning of the planned robbery, the York County SheriffsOffice received a Crime Stoppers tip that the men were sleeping inan abandoned house in Fort Mill, and a SWAT team was able to arrestthe men before they could act on the plan.

When the SWAT team entered the abandoned house, they found two pipebombs sitting on a kitchen counter, the release states.

All four men later confessed to their involvement in the conspiracywhile being held at the York County Detention Center. The twoEddingtons chose to have a trial, their confessions were usedagainst them and they were each found guilty. They are awaitingsentencing.

The case was investigated by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the York County SheriffsOffice.