Athens man accused of having bomb-making material not indicted

David Aaron Romine

Credit: Athens Banner-Herald

Credit: Athens Banner-Herald

David Aaron Romine

After an ordeal that included jail time, an Athens man said he’s trying to resume his career goals after a grand jury declined to indict him on an explosive-device charge.

David Aaron Romine, 31, was arrested in September after police said they found a variety of bomb-making materials in his apartment, according to multiple reports.

However, a Clarke County grand jury did not indict Romine when it got the case Nov. 21, the Athens Banner-Herald reported.

Romine allegedly had a metal pipe with both ends capped, drawers filled with electrical components, chemicals, soldering tools, wiring, an alarm clock and 2-liter bottles with wires taped to them.

When asked about the capped pipe, Romine reportedly responded that "he didn't have the money for a pressure cooker at the time," Athens-Clarke County police officer Clint Dieball said in a report. "This immediately caught our attention since the Boston (Marathon) bombers used pressure cookers as containment vessels for their explosives."

The situation happened when police were called to handle a dispute between Romine and some neighbors at an apartment complex owned by the Athens Housing Authority, the Banner-Herald reported.

In a GoFundMe page, Romine shared his thoughts on his situation.

“Because of the ordeal I spent ten weeks in the county jail and lost my living accommodations that allowed me to use the money I had to start a business and find a job in my career field without having to worry about surviving,” he said.

At the time of his arrest, Romine said he had just graduated from Kaplan University with an associate degree in information technology.

He said he was using the material in his apartment to  develop bullet-proof body armor.

“... I’m innocent and it doesn’t seem like justice.”

Know what's really going on with crime and public safety in your metro Atlanta community, including breaking news, trial coverage, trends and the latest on unsolved cases. Sign up for the AJC's crime and safety newsletter delivered weekly to your inbox.

In other news: