Four arrested in bomb investigation

August 30, 2000

Four people have been arraigned on charges ranging from possession of bombs, illegal weapons, and drugs possession and distribution. Police say they all are members of a white supremacist group known as Aryan Circle, using a hotel room as a place to make and distribute bombs and drugs.

The suspects had been holed up at the Homewood Suites Hotel in north Fort Worth. Staff members there became suspicious after the suspects room received several calls, 24 hours a day.

"It was excessive and certainly out of the ordinary and that was the alert," says hotel general manager Sandra Attig.

Police say when they arrived at the hotel room, they found two bombs. They were small devices wrapped in a cigarette package.

"These were explosive devices, not something that would low up a car or a building or anything like that. Mainly from looking at it basically used to maim the individual who's handling the package," says Fort Worth police Lieutenant David Burgess.

One of the bombs was left in a squad car after an officer placed one of the suspects in his police unit.

One of the men arrested is 28-year-old William Todd Tucker of Grand Prairie. Police say he had two small bombs and a pistol. He's in jail on a $26,000 bond.

Heather Kristine Petree of Irving, 27, and 24-year-old Ryan Throne of Fort Worth are also in jail. Petree's accused of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Thorne is facing charges of unlawfully carrying a weapon and possession of a control substance.

Robert Clifton Massey, was arrested on an unrelated evading arrest warrant.