Explosives found at Bradenton ex-felon’s home. He kept them in his ‘powder room,’ cops say

A 52-year-old Bradenton man was taken into protective custody on Tuesday, after deputies found explosives in the ex-felon’s home, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Criminal charges against James R. Hoskins are “forthcoming,” the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies responded to Hoskins’ home in the 2500 block of 32nd Avenue East around 1:45 p.m. after Hoskins made statements to an employee at a mental health facility that he had explosives he was using to make rocket motors.

Hoskins also made statements about his roommate that the employee felt was threatening, the sheriff’s office said.

Hoskins allowed deputies into his self-proclaimed “powder room,” where “various materials” were located, according to the sheriff’s office.

The Manatee County Hazmat unit, along with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad, secured the area and located 2-to-3 pounds of TATP, an organic peroxide, that can cause a “highly sensitive homemade explosion,” the sheriff’s office said Wednesday.

A device also was located that prompted the involvement of the U. S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which will assist with further examination of the device.

The materials were able to safely secured, transported and ultimately destroyed later that night at a Manatee County gun range.

Hoskins admitted to buying the materials online and making the explosives, the sheriff’s office said.

“He understood how dangerous it was and wrote a statement apologizing for his actions,” a sheriff’s office press release stated. “Hoskins also admitted that he made some statements earlier about his roommate, but he never intended to harm anyone.”

According to court records, Hoskins became a convicted felon in 2003 for grand theft. Hoskins initially pleaded to a lesser misdemeanor charge, but violated his probation, which prompted his original felony conviction to stand.

He was arrested for felony burglary in 2004, but those charges were dropped. In 2007, he was arrested for felony aggravated domestic battery, but pleaded to a reduced battery charge. However, he also violated that probation and spent six months in the county jail.

This story was originally published January 29, 2020 at 11:25 AM.