Alleged Maui bomber faces federal charges

A 47-year-old Kahului man made his initial appearance in federal court Tuesday after he was arrested in connection with a series of improvised explosive devices found on Maui, one of which blew up and damaged a sport utility vehicle.

Robert Francis Dumaran, 47, of Kahului appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth J. Mansfield following his arrest Saturday on a federal warrant.

“The Maui Police Department, in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, continues to actively investigate these incidents. This unified effort underscores our shared commitment to ensuring that justice is served and that our community remains safe,” Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said.

The investigation remains active and specific details cannot be released, according to an MPD news release.

“Our primary focus is to ensure that all involved parties are identified and that justice is served. We appreciate the community’s cooperation in respecting the ongoing process and avoiding speculation,” the statement continued.

Dumaran was charged by criminal complaint Saturday with one count of possessing an unregistered destructive device and one count of attempting to damage, by means of explosives, property affecting interstate commerce.

Mobile phone data collected from cell towers, fingerprints found on an unexploded device and a January 2022 search by Maui police in connection with an illegal-fireworks and drug probe led law enforcement to Dumaran.

A text message Dumaran allegedly sent outlined his destructive intentions.

On Aug. 6 at about 12:17 a.m., there was a text message from a cellphone that Dumaran allegedly used stating, “Think I gotta go set off sum explosions … make me feel better,” according to the complaint.

A third party responded one minute later, “What u going set off the grenade one” to the phone Dumaran was allegedly using.

He allegedly responded, at 12:21 a.m., “No Neva find a target yet …”

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 27. Mansfield ordered Dumaran detained without bail.

According to an affidavit authored by an agent with the FBI assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, MPD officers on July 23 encountered an improvised explosive device near Lono Avenue in Kahului in the roadway by Kahului Elementary School.

“The IED contained explosive powder, a battery, and shrapnel. Dumaran’s fingerprints were recovered from packing tape used to build the IED,” according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “If indicted and convicted of the charged offenses, the defendant would face up to ten years in prison on the unregistered destructive device charge and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and up to 20 years on the explosives charge.”

Maui police found detonated IEDs near Kaamana Street in Kula on Wednesday. Officers and FBI agents responded to the explosion of an IED that damaged a white Kia SUV on Thursday night on Old Haleakala Highway near Aeloa Road in Pukalani.

“The complaint does not charge Dumaran in connection with either of those events,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

On Wednesday another IED, made of pipe, had been attached to a guardrail and detonated in Kula, and “caused considerable damage to the guardrail and vicinity,” according to the affidavit.

“After rendering the IEDs safe, MPD personnel sent them to the FBI Laboratory for analysis. FBI personnel trained in analysis of explosives determined the IEDs were firearms which contained explosive and incendiary material and were designed to cause, and capable of causing, destruction by explosive force,” the agent wrote.

A witness told Maui police and FBI agents that on Thursday night they saw “a flash similar to lightning and feeling the ground shake similar to an earthquake.”