Keith Richards might be singing “Gimme Shelter” this week after finding out that he was the target of a Connecticut man’s bomb plot.
Irish American millionaire Joseph C. Callahan, 69, was arrested after police discovered that he was stockpiling guns, ammunition and chemical weapons in his Greenfield Hills mansion.
Cops were called to the house after Callahan’s ex-wife became worried that no one had seen him in a while. They discovered an arsenal of weapons that included 274 guns, tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, assorted explosive devices and ammonium nitrate.
They also found a bomb stored in the garage, which Callahan said was “a gift” intended for Richards.
He insisted to cops that he had not intended to injure the guitarist, who lives just 10 miles away in Weston, CT.
Callahan’s Linkedin page lists him as the president of a chemical company. He also worked for gun manufacturer Remington Arms for nearly two decades.
After arresting Callahan on Oct. 1, authorities evacuated his street and spent two days removing hazardous materials from the house. He was charged with 11 counts of illegal possession of explosives, six counts of first-degree reckless endangerment and one count of manufacturing bombs.
Callahan is cooperating with authorities and was released on his own recognizance and is working to remove the dangerous materials from his home.
The Daily Mail reports that Dennis Schain, of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, told reporters that some of the chemicals may be related to Callahan’s model rocketry hobby.
Callahan’s lawyer Richard Meehan told reporters that he had not seen the arrest warrant, but that his client is “a delightful gentleman who never had any intention to make a bomb an never intended to hurt anybody.”
As for Richards, he’s not issuing any comments to the press at the moment. But it’s a safe bet that the unflappable Rolling Stone isn’t anywhere near a 19th – or even a first -- nervous breakdown over his unwanted gift.
Comments