
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 13, 1991                   TAG: 9103130524
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: By Associated Press
DATELINE: NORFOLK                                LENGTH: Medium

3 INDICTED IN NORFOLK BOMB CASE/

A federal grand jury indicted a Maryland businessman and two associates Tuesday in the attempted bombing of a storage tank that had been leased by the businessman to hold a chemical he was trying to sell.

Charles Edward Gresham, 57, of Ellicott City, Md., was indicted on 15 counts, including conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, attempted property destruction and transporting explosives with intent to damage property.

Joseph Wayne Openshaw, 36, of St. Johns, Ariz., and Cecil Howard Ross, 31, of Glendale, Ariz., also were indicted. Openshaw faces 13 counts in the case; Ross was indicted on eight counts.

The charges stemmed from the discovery of six pipe bombs at a chemical tank farm in Norfolk on Feb. 4.

The FBI took over the investigation because of the possibility of a link to international terrorism. The bombs were found about 10 miles from the huge Norfolk Naval Base and just 2 1/2 weeks after the start of the Persian Gulf War.

However, after the three men were arrested on Feb. 8 and Feb. 9, federal authorities said the attempted bombing was a scheme to collect insurance money.

According to an FBI affidavit filed in the case, Gresham, owner of Applied Technology Inc., a business he ran from his home, was more than $66,000 in arrears on his lease for a storage tank at Allied Terminals Inc.

The affidavit said Gresham had been trying for several months to dispose of about 2 million gallons of a toxic sodium sulfide solution in the tank.

He had more than doubled the insurance on the chemical to $2.7 million in December.

The FBI said Openshaw's name was on the sales contract as broker, but the deal was bogus. The affidavit said Ross sent a pipe bomb drawing to Gresham after a meeting of the three men.

The affidavit said the three expected to net a $1 million profit by blowing up the tank. If convicted on all counts, Gresham could be sentenced to 95 years in prison and fined up to $3.75 million. Openshaw faces a maximum 75 years and $3.25 million in fines. Ross could get 45 years and $2 million in fines.

Gresham, Openshaw and Ross were to be arraigned today.

by CNB