Austin man pleads guilty following pipe bomb incidents

AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin man pleaded guilty Friday to arson causing bodily injury in connection with incidents involving pipe bombs.

According to the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office, 61-year-old Michael Sean Myers was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison.

“Terroristic and dangerous acts will not be tolerated in Williamson County, and I am proud of the work to see that Myers cannot harm anyone again in Williamson County,” Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick said.

According to the office, the arson was motivated by Myers’ son dating a woman he disapproved of.

The following is a timeline of events provided by the DA’s office.

• Late 2021: Victim’s family notices strange occurrences around their property, including finding superglue on locks, sabotaged lawn equipment and a sabotaged vehicle
• January 2022: Pipe bomb explodes in victim’s van as he and his wife were driving in Williamson County, causing the driver to have severe injuries to his hand
• February 2022: Victim’s son finds pipe bomb with partially burned fuse in the backyard of his Georgetown home
• Late 2022: Officers find a third bomb prepared by Myers, along with grenades he was making at his house

“Law enforcement agencies identified Myers as the person responsible for the bomb in the victim’s car,” the DA’s office said. “Prosecutors worked together with law enforcement to secure the evidence necessary to prove Myers’ guilt, and upon realizing the case against him, Myers agreed to plead to 15 years in prison.”