GREENSBURG, Pa. — A man who is accused of placing a pipe bomb under his landlord’s lawnmower has just received a new set of charges for planting an explosive under another vehicle, police say.
According to Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli’s Office, James Sever, 54, received nearly 40 new charges on Thursday. Among them are attempted criminal homicide and 17 counts of aggravated assault, 17 counts of recklessly endangering another person, weapons of mass destruction, risking catastrophe and possessing an instrument of crime.
These charges stem from an incident that happened on Aug. 14 when police found a suspicious item and debris on an off-ramp of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Irwin.
Maintenance workers contacted the Pennsylvania State Police, who called in their Hazardous Device Explosives Section.
Investigators said they found components that matched what was found at the scene of an explosion at a house in Salem Township in July. That was when a pipe bomb made of small metal pieces of threaded pipe, shrapnel, wood, black plastic zip ties, nails, screws, a battery and wire components blew up under Dave Martin’s lawnmower.
The items found on the Turnpike interchange in August were recognized as the same components, identified with specific markings, that were found at the explosion in Salem Township on July 20.
Police said they believe the bombs were made by the same person: James Sever.
At that time, Sever was already wanted as a suspect in the attempt on David Martin’s life after Martin had evicted him. He was on the run in Indiana County.
Police said Sever evaded them for months, until an off-duty trooper spotted him on Hoodlebug Trail in Center Township. On-duty troopers went to the area and arrested Sever without incident on Sept. 16.
Sever was interviewed after his arrest. Court documents say that he confessed to building both bombs before he was evicted from Martin’s property. Police said he told them he had intended to put both explosives under his uncle’s vehicle but targeted Martin once the eviction process began.
A criminal complaint says Sever drove to his uncle’s house on July 20 and placed an explosive on his vehicle at around 3 a.m.
Investigators met with Sever’s uncle to ask where his vehicle had been on that day. He told police he had been using a loaner truck, a 2025 Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab, from C. Harper Chevrolet.
Police then went to C. Harper and met with a service manager who connected them with the person who had loaned the truck after Sever’s uncle. That loan started on Aug. 5. Police said that the man told them he often traveled on the ramp where the bomb was found and said his wife recalled feeling like the truck had run something over in that area on the evening of Aug. 12. Police believe that was when the bomb fell off.
The man believed he had his wife, four kids and sister-in-law inside the truck at some point while the bomb was still attached.
Police said other people who worked at the car dealership would have also been inside or near the vehicle while the bomb was attached.
In total, investigators believe 16 people were in serious danger while the bomb was attached to the truck.
Sever remains in the Westmoreland County prison and was denied bail.
Last week, he pleaded “not guilty” to the charges filed against him in connection with the lawnmower explosion.
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