Police seize explosives, weapons from Jonesville home

Explosives, automatic weapons and suspected marijuana were among items seized after a week-long search of the home of a Jonesville man last month.

The Catahoula Parish Sheriff's Office responded Aug. 25 to a call that Bill Wesley Womack, 55, had set off an explosive in his wife's car, CPSO Chief Dep. Toney Edwards said.

Deputies found an explosive had been detonated inside the vehicle and arrested Womack.

"He told the jailer if someone went to his shop on (Highway) 84 it would blow up because it was wired," Edwards said.

The department contacted Louisiana State Police, which deployed its Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) robot to secure the building.

Agents from Federal Bureau of Investigations EOD in Alexandria and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in Shreveport, New Orleans and Houston joined deputies, LSP officers and other law enforcement agencies in searching Womack's residence at 3973 Highway 126 in Jonesville.

He said teams worked together and found a stash of ready-made explosive devices, automatic weapons, ammunition, ingredients for explosives, suspected marijuana and several thousands of dollars in cash. Fort Polk EOD was contacted to handle military explosives found in the home.

The groups also searched the "saddle house" on Womack's property, which was found to be booby-trapped. It was determined to be where he made the bombs.

Edwards said there has been previous information that Womack, a lifelong resident of Jonesville, had weapons and explosives, but deputies had not found them.

"He had made threats to law enforcement and his wife," Edwards said. "I think everybody was on edge. His neighbors, even his brother ... they never knew when they would hear explosions."

CPSO charged Womack with possession of explosives and carrying a concealed weapon. He was placed in the Catahoula Correctional Center until ATF agents transported him to Shreveport this week.

ATF filed a criminal complaint charging Womack with possession of an unregulated destructive device and possession of a machine gun, said Wade Rasberry, resident agent in charge for ATF Shreveport.

Rasberry said the federal investigation is ongoing and he anticipates some additional charges after the next grand jury in Shreveport on Sept. 24.

Law enforcement worked the scene 24 hours a day from Aug. 25 to about 3 a.m. on Aug. 30.

"It was very overwhelming," Edwards said. "It was very tiring. We were all concerned about the safety of the explosive techs."

No one was harmed. Explosives were disarmed and X-rayed. Some were detonated on scene in a safe environment, Edwards said.

Other agencies involved were Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office, Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office, Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office, Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office, Harrisonburg Police Department, the Governor's Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness and ATF Offices in Shreveport, New Orleans and Houston.