CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A federal jury has convicted a Corpus Christi resident and felon for possession of a firearm and unregistered pipe bombs, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas.
During a call reporting a shooting in the area, 35-year-old Robert Spencer was approached by authorities before fleeing into his home, looking to be armed. The release stated that this led to an hour-long standoff, where officers heard two shots fired off inside the home with Spencer yelling for them to leave. He eventually left the house unarmed and law enforcement officers arrested him.
A search warrant of Spencer's home turned up six pipe bombs, three firearms and boxes of ammunition in the attic, as well as a second firearm next to Spencer’s home, where authorities initially saw him. Spencer also admitted to law enforcement that he had assembled the pipe bombs and claimed to own the firearm found next to the house.
Testing confirmed the pipe bombs were destructive devices as defined by the law, but they were not properly registered to Spencer in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer record. As a convicted felon, Spencer is prohibited from possessing firearms by federal law, the release states.
During the trial, the defense attempted to convince the jury that Spencer was unaware of the firearms found, and that the pipe bombs were not destructive devices. The jury rejected these claims and found him guilty as charged, only taking approximately 90 minutes before convicting Spencer.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos set sentencing for Feb. 4, 2025. As of right now, Spencer faces up to 15 years in federal prison for possession of firearms and up to 10 years for possession of unregistered pipe bombs, along with a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Spencer will remain in custody pending that hearing.
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