Cedar Rapids man faces charges over explosive devices

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man was arrested over the weekend on charges that he had multiple explosive devices in his possession.

Dennis Wayne Spratte Jr., 44, is charged with two misdemeanor counts of possession of explosive materials or destructive devices and one felony count of possession of explosive materials or destructive devices with intent to use. He is also charged with a city misdemeanor of disorderly house.

According to a criminal complaint, police responded Feb. 6 to the 1900 block of Western Drive SW for a report of suspicious device. The device they found was an explosive — a sealed container that had flash powder condensed in a tube, with a wick sticking out of the tube and a burning cigarette left next to the wick in an apparent attempt to make a timed device.

Authorities said Spratte’s fingerprints were found on the device and a search warrant was issued for his home, where police say they found two more cylinders that had flash powder and fuses.

The criminal complaint for the explosive materials charges lists Spratte’s address as being on 16th Street SE, but the complaint for the disorderly house charge lists his address as being on Western Drive SW — close to where the first explosive device was found. The complaints don’t state at which address police found the two other devices.

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