SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Keith Seppi, 59, of Conneaut, Ohio, was sentenced today in United States District Court to serve thirty-five (35) years in prison, following his guilty plea to using a destructive device in relation to a crime of violence, and possessing a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence, announced Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Ashan M. Benedict. In imposing sentence, the Hon. Brenda K. Sannes also ordered the defendant to serve a term of five (5) years of supervised release following his term of incarceration.
As part of his guilty plea, Seppi admitted that he built a bomb at his Ohio home that was to be activated by motion and disguised to look like a standard parcel package. Seppi transported the bomb from Ohio to Floyd, New York, where he put it in the victim’s (Alan Dobransky) driveway near midnight on May 28, 2016, intending that it would explode when it was moved. The next morning, the victim attempted to pick up the bomb causing it to detonate, resulting in his sustaining severe injuries and burns. Alan Dobransky survived the explosion but was hospitalized for several weeks.
As part of his plea agreement, the defendant also admitted that in May of 2016 he learned that the bomb victim (Alan Dobransky) had accused Seppi’s sister-in-law of stealing money from Dobransky’s mother and had threatened to report the alleged thefts to law enforcement authorities in Ohio. Alan Dobransky’s mother had been living with and cared for by Seppi’s sister-in-law in her Conneaut, Ohio residence. Shortly after learning of the theft accusations against his sister-in-law, and the threat to report the alleged thefts to local law enforcement authorities in Ohio, Seppi constructed the bomb and later planted it in Alan Dobransky’s driveway in New York.
“Keith Seppi’s cold, calculating, and cowardly crime earned a sentence that will put him in prison for the next thirty-five years. The coordination and dedication of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies from New York to Ohio pinpointed the perpetrator of this abominable attack and his accomplices and resulted in their convictions in county and federal court. We wish the victim strength and improvement in his recovery, and hope this measure of justice affords some solace,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith.
Special Agent in Charge Ashan M. Benedict said, “Today’s sentence is effectively a life sentence for Keith Seppi. It is an appropriate punishment for his brazen, cowardly, and violent attack on Mr. Dobransky. Though Seppi was able to strike at his intended target, he ignored the extreme danger in the device’s transportation, and the indiscriminate nature of the explosive device once it was left in Mr. Dobranky’s driveway. The package bomb could have easily been picked up by an unintended victim, or others could have been near the device when it initiated. These possibilities were entirely outside the control of Seppi once the device was planted. The plot to silence Mr. Dobrasnky failed, but the disguised bomb left Mr. Dobransky with serious injuries requiring weeks of hospitalization. We continue to wish Mr. Dobransky a full recovery, and would like to extend our gratitude to the criminal investigators and prosecutors for their superb efforts in speedily bringing Seppi to justice.”
Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara said, “I would first like to recognize the victim, Alan Dobransky, as we all continue to wish him a full and speedy recovery from the injuries sustained as a result of this bombing.
