RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA – A man who left pipe bombs in a residential neighborhood in Palm Springs near the residence of an ex-girlfriend plead guilty today to possession of an unregistered destructive device, according to authorities.
Edward Allen Costa, 49, who resided in Desert Hot Springs but was a fugitive for a time last year, pleaded guilty to the felony charge in federal court,
Costa pleaded guilty in 2012 to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to a year in prison and was finishing his sentence at a halfway house in Rubidoux when he walked away from the facility in August 2013. The fugitive was taken into custody in November by the Banning Police Department and the FBI, officials said.
While a fugitive last year, officials said Costa was indicted for possessing six pipes bombs that were left in a Palm Springs neighborhood from May 8 through May 12 of 2012.
Prior to being indicted for the pipe bombs, Costa was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a .357-magnum revolver, as well as 106 rounds of ammunition, according to authorities.
Costa faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on July 14.