1 arrested after bomb-like devices found at Wagoner County home

WAGONER COUNTY, Okla. — A robbery suspect was arrested after authorities said they found explosive-like devices in his home.

The City of Coweta said 41-year-old Christopher Kharazi was arrested on April 26 for:

• Armed robbery.
• Robbery of a controlled substance.
• Theft of a vehicle.
• Possessing a bomb hoax device.

On April 20, the Coweta Police Department said a man demanded drugs at gunpoint and stole a pharmacist’s vehicle at the Express RX pharmacy.

Police said at around 11:30 a.m. a patient in the drive-through saw the robbery and reported it.

On April 26, authorities were served a search warrant at the suspect’s, later identified as Kharazi’s, home, near 91st Street South and South 257th East Avenue.

Coweta Police were serving the warrant concerning the robbery investigation.

Kharazi was arrested without incident and during the search of the house, police found what appeared to be two pipe bombs.

A second device that appeared to be either a smoke device or a hand grenade of some sort was found inside a Jeep outside the house.

“So, they were described to me, the ones inside the house appear to be like a pipe bomb-type device and the one inside the Jeep appears to be, it could either be a smoke device or a hand grenade of some kind,” Bell said.

According to the City, the devices were not real explosives but made to look like real explosives.

Coweta Police Chief Mike Bell said Kharazi was formerly in the U.S. Navy for 12 years.

“His job in the military was to paint a target so that jets knew where to bomb the target, so he’s worked around this type of stuff quiet a bet,” Bell said.

Due to his military history, Bell said this may be related to a mental health crisis.

“We suspect that he has PTSD, we expect that this could be a mental health issue, which is another reason we think he probably stole the drugs when he robbed the pharmacy,” Bell said.

Tulsa Bomb Squad along with Broken Arrow Fire and Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

Bell said this was only the second time that he’s had to call the bomb squad in the 10 years he has worked in Coweta.

Before the home and Jeep were cleared, one nearby house was evacuated and several others were asked to shelter in place.

“They’re trying to live their peaceful lives and now all of a sudden we have bombs, possible bombs inside the house,” Bell said.