A Collinsville resident, Jeremy Barr, 49, has been sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for constructing and possessing pipe bombs. Barr was indicted by a grand jury in East St. Louis in March 2024 and pleaded guilty on May 1, 2025. He received his sentence from the District Court on September 3, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft commented on the case: “Improvised explosive devices are inherently unpredictable, unstable, and indiscriminate,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Jeremy Barr threatened innocent lives near a Southern Illinois school, endangering kids, and our community. We thank the brave law enforcement officers who responded, and we pledge to relentlessly pursue bomb makers to protect the public.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) analyzed the device and found it contained fragmentation capable of causing serious injury or death if detonated.
ATF Chicago Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon addressed the risk posed by Barr’s actions: “The defendant in this case left two pipe bombs in a car parked next to a school for two days, posing a direct threat not only to the school but also the surrounding community,” said ATF Chicago Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon. “I want to commend the swift actions of law enforcement and prosecutors, whose efforts helped avert a potential tragedy. ATF remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to disrupt threats to public safety and hold violent offenders accountable.”
As part of his sentencing terms, Barr is required to pay $15,000 in restitution to his former landlord for damages caused during an Illinois State Police search at his residence for additional explosives. While no other devices were discovered during that search, authorities did find evidence of bomb making materials in the basement.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the ATF; Wood River Police Department; Collinsville Police Department; Illinois State Police; FBI Springfield Field Office; and Illinois Secretary of State Police Hazardous Device Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Burke prosecuted the case.
