Kentucky man who made Molotov cocktails gets 20 years

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WTVQ) – A Simpson County man is going to prison for 20 years after pleading guilty to making Molotov cocktails to blow up a Kentucky middle school.

The United States Attorney’s Office says 20-year-old Trey Alexander Gwathney-Law, of Franklin, admitted to making and possessing five illegal firearms that are commonly known as Molotov cocktails.

According to court records and report by the Franklin Police Department, Gwathney-Law told an acquaintance that he had made the devices in order to blow-up Franklin-Simpson County Middle School.

Police were informed of the plan and arrested Gwathney-Law.

According to the plea agreement, Gwathney-Law made the Molotov cocktails in 2015 using glass bottles filled with flammable liquid. One Mountain Dew, one Sprite, and two Dr. Pepper bottles had a cloth wick stuffed inside. A root beer bottle had a carbon dioxide cartridge containing explosive powder and pieces of paper that appeared to have been soaked in the liquid.

Gwathney-Law was sentenced to 20 years without the possibility of parole on Wednesday.

Courtesy: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Kentucky