Alleged Bomb Maker Appears Before District Judge

A man accused of having a bomb lab inside his Levittown home will face trial.

During a brief court appearance, Thomas Piscione, 31, waives a charge of risking catastrophe onto trail. He remains in jail on 10 percent of $1 million bail.

Piscione is accused by Bristol Township police of operating a bomb lab out of the single-story William Levitt-built home he has owned for the past several years.

The 31 year old escaped serious injury in mid-May when some explosive materials in the home exploded with such force it blew out windows and lifted the roof from the frame.

Assistant District Attorney Christopher Rees said authorities are not certain of Pisconie’s motive. He did say that the items found in the home could have caused serious harm.

The explosion, which occurred around 1:30 a.m. in the morning, was heard for miles around the Levittown area and caused a stir on social media.

Levittown Fire Company No. 2 Chief Ralph Gumbert told Detective Tim Fuhrmann there were “suspicious circumstances” concerning the fire and explosion at 5 Midwood Lane, according to court papers.

Those suspicions extended to inside the home and the suspect’s “singed hair and black soot all over his face,” a probable cause affidavit says.

Inside the residence, authorities wrote in court documents, a suspected working bomb-making lab was located in the back bedroom with precursor chemicals for making explosives

As the chief with first responders from the Edgely and Fairless Hills fire companies took in the scene and secured it, Gumbert told responding Bristol Township officers he believed Piscione was “building a bomb.” Bristol Township’s fire marshal was notified and responded, court records say.

Piscione told officers that when they arrived on scene with smoke billowing out into the streets that a propane tank exploded. Police said they found no evidence of a propane tank explosion.

After a preliminary investigation, authorities determined an explosion occurred inside the home with the blast zone being in the area of a brick fire place, investigators said.

The blast, according to authorities and witnesses, caved in part of the roof, blew out windows, knocked books of off shelving, popped nails and blew bricks out of the fireplace, leaving the living room filled with smoke burns.

Piscione said during interviews with investigators that he was  interested in chemicals and that it was a “hobby” for him. They noted he recently purchased exploding targets and detonated them in his home. The suspect admitted, according to court records, to blowing up the incendiary device in his fireplace.

Police said in court papers that they found PVC pipe and galvanized steel pipes in the house. Those items are commonly used to make pipe bombs. Ball bearings found in the house during the investigation were not believed to be connected to the allege bomb making, Rees said.

In May, police also said they found several firearms and large amount of ammunition along with blow darts, knifes, fire crackers and other weapons in the house. Police said that literature about explosives and serial killers was also found in the house.

Piscione worked on the signaling system for Amtrak and lived alone. Several SEPTA rail line plaques sit on display outside his home.

Bucks County authorities worked with agents from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms on the case.

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