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Wake man convicted in Apex car bomb explosion

A federal court jury has convicted a man of placing a bomb in a vehicle in an Apex neighborhood two years ago.

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Package explodes in Apex
NEW BERN, N.C. — A federal court jury has convicted a Willow Spring man of placing a bomb in a vehicle in an Apex neighborhood two years ago.

James Curtis Denton was found guilty last week of possession and transportation of an explosive with the intent to injure or kill an individual and conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine. He faces up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced.

An improvised explosive device made of PVC pipe, black powder and pellets was affixed to the underside of an SUV on May 28, 2015, and it went off as the owner drove down Glade Hill Drive in the Heritage at Park at West Lake subdivision, near Middle Creek High School.

The driver, who was the only one in the SUV at the time, wasn't hurt, but police evacuated nearby homes and closed down Optimist Farm Road to investigate.

Authorities said the driver was the boyfriend of Denton's ex-wife. Investigators were able to tie him to the IED based on interviews with witnesses, including a co-defendant in the drug case who accompanied him to the neighborhood when he put the bomb under the SUV.

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