An Odessa man has been charged with a felony for being in possession of presumed “dynamite” during a traffic stop earlier this month in Lafayette County.
A probable-cause statement says Odessa Police officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with a defective tail lamp in the 400 block of North 2nd Street just before 11 p.m. on January 3.
Officers spoke with the driver, 22-year-old Brendan Janes, and noticed suspicious activity. Officers reportedly asked Janes if he was in possession of any weapons, and he allegedly admitted to having several sticks of “dynamite” in the vehicle. Officers reportedly found four quarter-size sticks and a half stick of presumed dynamite. Janes stated he stored the explosives in his vehicle since he found the “dynamite” in an RV sometime in July 2018, and had detonated some of the sticks. An explosives expert with the Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed Janes’ sticks were incendiary, which means they would detonate an explosive, but did not identify it as dynamite.
Online court documents say Janes has been charged with a Class D Felony for Unlawful Possession of an Explosive Weapon. Bond was set at $2,500 cash or surety.
Janes’ initial hearing at Lafayette County Circuit Court is pending.