La Pine drug raid turns up pipe bomb; OSP Bomb Squad called, neighbors evacuated

La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) – A raid on the apartment of a La Pine man under investigation for drug sales on Wednesday found a homemade pipe bomb, prompting call-up of the Oregon State Police Bomb Squad and evacuation of neighboring apartments, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said.

The Sheriff’s Office Street Crimes Unit had been investigating Sunny Penny Dunn III, 29, for drug sales in the county, Sgt. Doug Sullivan said.

Detectives conducted a search warrant Wednesday at Penny Dunn’s apartment in the 51300 block of Huntington Road and found evidence of methamphetamine use and sales and a BHO (butane hash oil) lab, as well as the explosive device, Sullivan said.

Three adjacent apartments were evacuated for several hours during the removal and safe destruction of the device, Sullivan said, adding that detectives also found several thousand dollars’ worth of stolen satellite and dish equipment.

Penny Dunn was booked into the county jail in Bend on charges of methamphetamine delivery, illegal manufacture of a marijuana extract, first-degree theft and illegal manufacture and possession of an explosive device. He remained in jail Thursday, held on $55,000 bail pending arraignment.

The sheriff’s office also was assisted by the FBI Bomb Squad unit, Sullivan said.