Oakland mail bomber who targeted law enforcement officers gets 40 years in prison

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — Ross Gordon Laverty, who sent mail bombs in 2017 to homes of law enforcement officers in Alameda and East Palo Alto out of revenge, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison Thursday, authorities said.

Laverty was convicted in October 2020 of sending improvised explosive devices to a corrections officer who had him strip-searched while incarcerated at a San Mateo county jail, and to an Alameda police officer involved in a probation search of Laverty’s that resulted in a drug arrest.

The device, a coin epoxied to the end of a pipe, was designed to shoot like a projectile when the package was opened, according to a press statement from U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California Stephanie Hinds. 

Trial evidence showed one package was mailed to the wrong person who happened to share the name of the corrections officer; he was injured by the explosion and still feels the effects. The second bomb was opened by the police officer’s wife who managed to toss it away when she saw wires inside the package. It exploded and left her with lingering injuries.

“My heart goes out to the innocent victims of these horrific acts,” said Hinds in a prepared statement. “Ross Laverty not only injured the victims, he put mail carriers and handlers and numerous others at risk of serious injury and death. The public must be protected from such reckless, violent crimes. I thank our law enforcement partners, both federal and local, who worked long and hard to solve and prosecute these crimes.” 

In May 2019, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Laverty, charging him with two counts of mailing an explosive device with the intent to injure or kill, two counts of possession of an unregistered firearm (the explosive device), and two counts of using an explosive during the commission of a felony. He was found guilty on all counts in October 2020.

In addition to the 40-year sentence, U.S. District Judge William Orrick imposed a three-year term of supervision following Laverty’s release from prison and ordered that he pay restitution to his victims.