A federal grand jury has indicted Randeep Mann, MD, 51, of London, Ark., in the bombing attack that nearly killed fellow physician Trent Pierce of West Memphis last February, authorities announced Jan. 6.

 

Pierce, a family practitioner and chairman of the Arkansas State Medical Board, was leaving his home between 7:40 and 7:50 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2009, and about to enter his vehicle when an explosive device detonated in his driveway, causing life-threatening injuries followed by months of rehabilitation.

 

Mann had agreed to surrender his license to prescribe medicine after being involved in an ongoing State Medical Board investigation regarding allegations that he had overprescribed prescription medicines and controlled substances.

 

In a press conference in Little Rock on Jan. 6, Jane Duke, U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, said authorities believed Mann had attacked Pierce to retaliate for his professional troubles with the board. Duke said she couldn’t say if Mann intended to murder Pierce or simply harm him, adding she had no information that other members of the State Medical Board were planned to be targeted.

 

Duke said she and agents had met with Pierce and his wife that morning to inform them of the indictment. “His reaction was simply one of continuing cooperation with our office and with the ATF,” she said.

 

Pierce declined comment; he has made no public statements about the bombing and his recovery.

 

Pierce has resumed duties as chairman of the Arkansas State Medical Board and has returned to his practice.

 

Mann faces two charges connected to the attack, the most serious potentially resulting in life imprisonment. That charge states that, aided and abetted by others, he used and conspired to use a weapon of mass destruction. The other charge claims he used that weapon to destroy a vehicle and is punishable by up to five years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.

 

Mann already faced seven other charges related to weapons possession, obstruction of justice, and illegal possession of chloroform while in federal custody at the Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility. Duke said the chloroform was discovered Sept. 4, but declined to answer how Mann intended to use the chloroform. He has been in federal custody since he was arrested March 4, 2009. His wife, Sangeeta Mann, already faced charges of obstruction of justice and making a false declaration to a grand jury. She was arrested Aug. 7 and released three days later. Like her husband, she faces up to 20 years imprisonment for the obstruction charges and a $250,000 fine. She also faces five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on the false declaration charge.

 

Trial for the original charges was set to begin March 15 before U.S. District Judge Brian Miller, but Duke said there could be a motion for continuance because of the new charges. A motion is pending to try the Manns separately.

 

After the bombing, authorities immediately identified individuals who had matters before the Arkansas State Medical Board and interviewed Mann on the day of the attack. That day, he showed agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms at least one grenade launcher he legally owned.

 

Then on March 3, London city employees discovered on wooded property 875 feet from Mann’s home a partially buried plastic bag enclosing a military canister containing grenades designed to be fired from a grenade launcher. Authorities obtained a search warrant for his residence the following day and discovered five military canisters that were identical to the one found in the woods. They also found two grenade launchers in a basement case that were capable of firing the grenades found in the woods, as well as a box of 45 practice rounds of ammunition for a grenade launcher. In all, Mann was found with approximately 98 grenades. Authorities discovered a total of 110 semi- and fully-automatic firearms, including a machine gun, worth more than $1 million, in Mann’s house. Most were lawfully registered to him.

 

London is located near Arkansas Nuclear One. In response to a question, Duke said that a person in possession of military-grade hardware living close to a nuclear power plant “caused a great deal of concern” and that the FBI investigated that aspect of the case.

 

For Mann, the firearms offenses are punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $10,000; the machine gun charge could net him 10 years and a $250,000 fine.

 

Even though she wouldn’t give a number, Duke said authorities believe others were involved in the attack. Asked if Mann personally planted the bomb, she said, “The indictment as alleged is that he was aided and abetted by others, and so at this point, it’s alleged as him acting in concert with others.” Phil Durham, ATF special agent in charge of the New Orleans field division, said that as the indictment indicates, others are possibly involved. “So we’ll continue to work,” he added, “until we have everything wrapped up and prosecuted.”