A series of homemade bombs hidden on SoHo rooftops and tossed onto subway tracks has a New York man facing a potentially lengthy prison term. Michael Gann, 55, is scheduled to be sentenced Friday, May 8, 2026, after pleading guilty to making improvised explosive devices, stashing them on Manhattan rooftops and throwing at least one onto the tracks.
According to court filings, Gann admitted assembling multiple devices and setting one off near the East River by the FDR Drive. No one was hurt, but investigators say the explosives were powerful enough that things could have gone very differently.
Prosecutors' Account Of The Stash And Tracks
Federal prosecutors say Gann was not tinkering in small batches. In late May 2025, they allege, he ordered pounds of precursor chemicals along with hundreds of cardboard tubes and fuses, then mixed the materials into explosive charges.
Investigators say he assembled at least seven improvised explosive devices, storing five on adjoining SoHo rooftops and hurling another onto the Williamsburg Bridge subway tracks. Authorities arrested him on June 5 and recovered additional devices from his person. One seized device contained roughly 30 grams of explosive powder, about 600 times the legal limit for consumer fireworks, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Plea And Sentencing
Gann ultimately pleaded guilty, admitting he built the explosives, stored them on apartment building rooftops and tossed at least one device onto subway tracks, according to CBS New York. He is set to learn his fate in federal court on Friday, May 8, 2026.
Investigators: Online Searches, Tests And Social Posts
Prosecutors say Gann did his homework online before getting his hands dirty. According to reporting by NBC New York, investigators found searches for terms like "3D gun printing," "chlorine bomb," and "how to make flash powder," followed by orders for chemicals and supplies.
In the hours before his arrest, prosecutors say Gann posted to Instagram, "Who wants me to go out to play like no tomorrow?" Surveillance images filed in court show a man identified as Gann walking across SoHo rooftops carrying what appear to be the improvised devices.
Legal Ramifications
Federal prosecutors charged Gann with attempted destruction of property by means of explosives, transportation of explosive materials and unlawful possession of destructive devices. Together, those counts carry statutory penalties that can reach roughly 40 years in prison, and the attempted destruction charge carries a mandatory minimum of five years, according to court filings and a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
As CBS New York notes, those minimums and maximums are set by federal statute, but the actual sentence will be up to the judge.
What Comes Next
Officials have credited a fast, coordinated response with preventing injuries and further damage once the devices came to light. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said Gann "put countless lives at risk," and prosecutors are expected to press that point when they lay out their case for punishment at Friday’s hearing.
Sentencing arguments will unfold when Gann appears in federal court on Friday, May 8, 2026, AP News reported.
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