Man caught with pipe bomb near a church and sentenced to prison

A New Mexico man caught with a pipe bomb on a church playground has been sentenced to more than four years in prison.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico announced Friday that Nathan Wallace, 41, faces a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence for possessing an explosive device and ammunition in the playground adjacent to East Mesa Baptist Church in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Wallace was arrested by the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office in May 2023 after authorities discovered him in the church's playground.

When questioned by police, Wallace admitted that he was carrying a metal container of gunpowder, which was later determined to be a pipe bomb. “The device was seized by police and analyzed by a bomb technician. It contains a fuse,” the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

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“In addition, a search of Wallace's belongings revealed a Winchester AA High Strength (20 gauge) shotgun shell, a motion sensor, two cell phones, and various modified batteries and cables, indicating possible components of an explosive device,” the statement continued.

Federal law prohibits Wallace, a felon with a criminal record that includes “multiple counts of forgery and possession of explosive devices,” from possessing firearms or ammunition. After completing his sentence, Wallace will be released on probation for three years.

Wallace's conviction followed a joint investigation by the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office. Speaking to local media after Wallace's arrest last year, East Mesa Baptist Church interim pastor Stephen Kovach expressed confidence that his church was safe from potential threats.

“We have adequate security, we have cameras, we have other things, we have an alarm system. So we are pretty well protected,” he said. At the same time, Kovach noted that “the possibility or likelihood that this is a hate crime certainly exists.”

The U.S. Attorney's Office did not say whether Wallace specifically targeted the church or how he intended to use the explosives. According to court records in New Mexico, Wallace has a criminal record dating back to 2003.

This year, Wallace pleaded guilty to alcohol and drug use and failure to maintain lane. He was convicted of four counts of forgery related to a 2004 indictment and served a prison sentence.

In 2005, Wallace was found guilty of possession of an explosive or incendiary device and conspiracy to commit such a crime. He was also charged with violating the prohibition against receipt, transportation or possession of a firearm or explosive device by a felon and with shoplifting.

Wallace was convicted of assault with intent to commit a violent crime in 2013. In October 2022, he was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a household member and theft between $250 and $500. The cases were dismissed in June 2023.