Man charged with possession of weapons of mass destruction

A man is facing charges in Centre County after allegedly manufacturing an explosive device.

According to the criminal complaint filed by state police at Philipsburg, troopers responded at about 9 p.m. Tuesday to the 500 block of Walker Street in Osceola Mills, Rush Township, to investigate a stolen firearms case.

After being allowed entry, troopers observed a male smoking what appeared to be illegal drugs and a juvenile girl run up the steps to the second floor, police said. One trooper saw in plain view what appeared to be an explosive device on a table adjacent to the couch.

The device was fabricated out of cardboard and duct taped together with the words “game over” written on it, police said. Troopers contacted the state police Hazardous Device and Explosives Section, who determined the device was “capable of causing bodily injury if ignited.”

All individuals were ordered from the home and transferred to the Philipsburg station for questioning, police said. Three of the five individuals provided written statements saying they had observed Derek S. Stiffler, 26, of Houtzdale, creating the device less than 24 hours earlier.

The witnesses also reported a video surveillance system in the residence should have captured Stiffler working with the device as well, according to police. Stiffler did not cooperate when questioned.

Stiffler was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Thomas Jordan, according to court documents, and charged with a felony count of unlawful possession of weapons of mass destruction and a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment. Bail was set at $75,000.

A preliminary hearing is slated for March 22.

This story was originally published March 15, 2017 at 3:25 PM with the headline "Man charged with possession of weapons of mass destruction."