Inmate at metro Atlanta prison accused of making bombs, mailing them to Alaska, D.C.

BUFORD, Ga. — A Georgia inmate is now facing federal charges after he was accused of mailing bombs to buildings in Alaska and Washington, D.C.

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Channel 2′s Audrey Washington was at Phillips State Prison in Buford, where David Cassady, 55, is already serving a life sentence for kidnapping and other crimes.

According to a federal indictment, Cassady is accused of building bombs while incarcerated at the now-shuttered state prison in Reidsville. The indictment said Cassady then mailed those bombs from the prison in Georgia to a federal courthouse in Anchorage, Alaska, and a Justice Department building in the state’s capital.

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No one was hurt. But in 2021, Channel 2 Action News did an investigation into conditions at the state prison in Reidsville. Former inmates said that because of the lack of oversight, they were able to unlock their cell doors and move around drugs, phones and weapons.

Georgia State Senator Joshua Ivan McLaurin said it is unacceptable for any inmate to possess the tools needed to build a bomb behind bars.

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“Things like this just can’t happen,” McLaurin said. “Some of the public safety challenges that we are seeing in our prisons are spilling over into our communities.”

Washington contacted the Georgia Department of Corrections and asked how Cassady was able to both build and mail bombs from prison.

The agency released a statement, saying:

“Cassady was able to manipulate primarily items he was authorized to possess into makeshift explosive devices. We appreciate the support of our federal partners in ensuring that justice will be served on this individual for his role in jeopardizing the safe operations of our facilities, and most importantly, the safety of the public.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the most serious charge Cassady is facing is attempted malicious use of an explosive. If convicted, he could face an additional 40 years in prison.

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