Kane County man charged after deputies find ‘hundreds of suspected explosives’ at Elgin area home

An Elgin-area man has been charged with 28 felonies after authorities said a multi-agency federal and local police investigation uncovered “hundreds of suspected explosives” and other chemical equipment inside a Kane County home.

David Minard, 46, was charged with 12 counts of possession of explosives, a Class 1 felony, six counts of transferring explosives without a license, four counts of possession of bombs or grenades, and six counts of storing explosives without a certificate, court records show.

If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison.

The man is accused of shipping the explosives to a family member’s home in unincorporated Elgin, according to a Monday news release from the Kane County Sheriff’s Office.

The owner of the home contacted the Sheriff’s Office at about 4:15 p.m. July 16 to report a shipment of chemicals that had been delivered, authorities said.

The explosives and other hazardous materials were uncovered after a dayslong investigation involving the FBI, Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Chicago police and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office bomb squads, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the Elgin and South Elgin fire departments, according to the release.

The homeowner told deputies that Minard, who no longer lives at the home, shipped Ammonium Nitrate to the residence, according to the release.

Ammonium Nitrate is a common fertilizer and component in explosives.

Deputies discovered additional chemicals on the property, at which point the Kane County Bomb Squad was requested to assess the situation, according to the release.

Deputies contacted Minard, who responded to the home and cooperated with authorities, according to the release.

From July 16 through July 17, bomb squad technicians tested and safely secured “a significant cache of materials,” including hundreds of suspected explosives, explosive precursors, chemical equipment, devices and bomb-making components, according to the release.

Minard is being held without release at Kane County Jail while he awaits his next court hearing, scheduled for July 25.