A 'funny prank' leads to charges in Princeton

Two teens put small explosives around Princeton to "make a little commotion." Their timing couldn't have been worse.

By MARY LYNN SMITH, Star Tribune

Last update: October 5, 2009 - 9:32 PM

It was supposed to be a prank that would cause a little commotion in an already rattled Princeton.

Instead, two teenagers are facing felony charges for leaving six homemade bombs around the city just hours after authorities had closed schools and summoned bomb squads when suspicious packages were found at the high school, the post office and a city building.

Police are continuing the investigation into the three suspicious packages.

The two Princeton High students, Jeremiah Moliter, 18, and Joseph Babb, 17, had nothing to do with the three packages, Moliter said Monday.

But, looking back, Moliter said, he and his friend should have just stayed home after school was dismissed Wednesday morning. Instead, he agreed to accompany Babb to the store for materials and on the afternoon ride in which the homemade bombs were tossed from their car.

"If I would have known this would all come about I would have physically grabbed him, strapped him down to a chair," Moliter said. "I wouldn't have allowed him out of the house."

Regardless of their intent, investigators said Monday, the pair picked a bad day to pull a stupid prank. "The timing was bad because of everything else that was going on at the time," Princeton police Sgt. Joe Backlund said. Moliter faces one felony charge in connection with the bombs, while Babb faces two charges, which could carry stiff penalties and fines.

Babb couldn't be reached for comment Monday.

According to Moliter, school had been shut down for the day when Babb came to his house with the idea of putting together some homemade explosive devices known as "MacGyver" or "The Works" bombs, in which chemicals are mixed with a metal alloy and then placed in an enclosed container, such as a sealed plastic bottle.

"I told him it was a dumb idea," Moliter said.

"He thought it would be a funny prank ... and make a little commotion," Moliter added. "He's a good kid. A really good kid. ... He didn't want to damage any property or hurt anyone. ... It was a dumb idea."

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of as much as $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for placing the suspected explosive device at the Princeton post office.

Mary Lynn Smith • 612-673-4788