Explosives found in Malvern storage facility detonated safely

MALVERN, Pa. - March 7, 2013 (WPVI) -- Authorities have confirmed to Action News that explosives were found at a storage facility in Malvern, Chester County.

The Action Cam was there Thursday night after 7:00 p.m. as federal agents removed dozens of explosives from a public storage facility on Lancaster Pike in Malvern.

Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan says the federal search and seizure of the explosives was pre-planned and very controlled.

"This is part of an ongoing investigation between the FBI and local law enforcement," said Hogan. "We had our eye on this guy for a while."

Local and federal authorities would not confirm who the suspect is.

But law enforcement sources tell us he is 42-year-old Istvan Merchenthaler of Coatesville, Pa., a man who was taken into federal custody last month for charges related to a $2 million Ponzi scheme involving prepaid phone cards.

As for the explosives, 60 devices believed to be pipe bombs, all were detonated safely, and the threat is over.

"To our knowledge there is no further threat to anyone else," said Hogan. "We have no information that this is in any way a terrorist attack."

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