Search That Found Bombs in Terrorism Suspect’s Car Upheld

A traffic stop and police search that uncovered homemade explosives in the car of a Japanese suspected of being a terrorist were conducted legally and the bombs may be used as evidence at trial, a federal judge ruled Friday.

Lawyers for the suspect, Yu Kikumura, had argued that a state trooper had stopped their client at a New Jersey Turnpike rest area without any cause, found the bombs in the trunk in an illegal search and then lied in his reports and at a pretrial hearing.

Trooper Robert Cieplensky testified that the three bombs, manufactured from fire extinguisher canisters, were on the floor in the back seat of Kikumura’s car. He said they were visible when he approached the vehicle after stopping Kikumura for careless driving, giving him probable cause to arrest Kikumura and search the rest of the car.

U.S. District Judge Alfred Lechner said in a 41-page opinion that he found Cieplensky’s version of the April traffic stop believable.

Kikumura, 36, is scheduled to go on trial on Nov. 14 on charges of possession of explosives and use of a fraudulent visa. He faces up to 100 years in prison if convicted on all counts.