Man in 'Mother of Satan' case pleads not guilty

Jared Coburn, 37, arrested last year in Lake Helen

DeLAND, Fla. – The man who Volusia County deputies say had highly volatile chemicals known as "Mother of Satan" inside his bedroom pleaded not guilty Wednesday.

Last month, the State Attorney's Office charged Jared Coburn, 37, with one felony count of manufacturing explosives and two felony counts of attempting to make a destructive device.

Officials said the charges are punishable by maximum possible penalty of 25 years in state prison.

Coburn's trial is scheduled for the week of March 18.

On Nov. 13, Coburn was arrested after someone called in a tip about a homemade bomb that led officials to the Lake Helen home he was staying at with his cousin.

Deputies reported finding two jars, two vials and a baggie of triacetate triperoxide, or TATP — an explosive powder the terrorist organization al-Qaida dubbed the “Mother of Satan” because it’s so dangerous.

Coburn said he used YouTube to learn to make the material because of his passion for fireworks and other explosives.

When the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad removed the TATP from the home, they also found an improvised grenade, a large number of exploding targets, multiple firearms, large amounts of ammunition and items that could be portrayed as hoax destructive devices.

Coburn was originally released on a $45,000 bond, but a judge later revoked his bond after ruling he was a risk to the public.

"Because of the nature of the offense you were arrested for, I'm going to say what everybody's thinking. Everybody's scared to death," Judge James Clayton said.

During the November hearing, Clayton ordered Coburn to undergo a psychological evaluation.

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About the Author

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.

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