Federal judge sentences Iowa man convicted of having bomb-making materials to probation

CEDAR RAPIDS - A federal judge sentenced an Oran man Thursday to five years probation with special conditions, instead of prison time, for having bomb-making materials in his home last year. The materials were similar to those used in the Boston Marathon bombing.

Trevor J. Satrom, 34, pleaded guilty in October to one count of possession of a National Firearms Act device not registered to him in U.S. District Court. Satrom, during the October hearing, admitted to having three pipe bombs and a pressure cooker bomb on Feb. 10, 2016, in his Fayette County residence.

He also admitted to knowing they were explosive bombs and that the destructive devices were not registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Leonard Strand said he was going to go along with the joint recommendation of the prosecutor and defense attorney based on the mitigating factors - Satrom's mental health issues which resulted from his military service and having no previous criminal history.

Christopher Nathan, Satrom's lawyer, said Satrom had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder.

'Trevor is 100 percent disabled, according to the VA,” Nathan told the judge.

Nathan argued for Satrom to be confined to his parent's home in Decorah during his probation. He also submitted a letter from Daniel Tranel, a licensed psychologist, who recommended Satrom be allowed two hours of outdoor activity each day.

Nathan pointed out that Satrom had been in jail for more than a year and had been compliant. He was even assaulted in jail and didn't fight back, he said. Satrom also has no criminal history, went to college and after graduation enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served time in Afghanistan. He then worked on a degree in architecture in 2013.

'Before this (offense), he was doing everything right,” Nathan said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Morfitt said he had no objection to Satrom living with his parents because Satrom will be on global position system - or GPS - monitoring.

Strand also imposed two other special conditions - that Satrom give up his passport and submit to random searches of any electronic devices.

Morfitt argued for the passport condition, saying it was reasonable in light of an unexpected trip to Costa Rica that Satrom took in 2015.

Satrom declined to say anything during the sentencing.

Strand told Satrom he is fortunate that his attorney and the prosecutor came to a joint agreement on probation, which is appropriate based on his military service and his resulting mental health issues.

Morfitt said after the hearing that he couldn't comment on Satrom's intent with having the bomb-making materials. He said given Satrom's mental health issues, he's not sure that was determined.

Satrom also is to undergo a mental health evaluation now that he has been sentenced to probation.

Last year, authorities recovered from Satrom's home more than 30 pounds of black gunpowder, steel pipes threaded with drilled endcaps, two pressure cookers, a fuse, BBs, shredded metal for shrapnel, a flamethrower capable of unleashing a 50-foot flame, napalm mix for the flamethrower, body armor, several guns, rifles and smoke grenades, a criminal complaint shows.

Pressure cookers were used as the explosives in the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.

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