Garden Grove Man Arrested in Plastic Explosives Case

Federal agents arrested a Garden Grove man for allegedly trading four ounces of plastic explosives to an undercover agent for a 9-millimeter pistol, authorities said Friday.

Morris Benoun, 32, was arrested Thursday at a Santa Ana business after the alleged transaction arranged by authorities. The arrest came after a monthlong investigation, said special agent John D’Angelo of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

The investigation began after agents learned from a confidential source that Benoun might be in possession of the C4 explosive, which is typically used in the construction industry to demolish buildings, D’Angelo said.

“He didn’t have a huge amount, but four ounces could easily kill someone or cause serious damage to a car,” D’Angelo said. “This is a high explosive. It’s pretty hard to get, and it is very unusual for a citizen to have it.”

After arresting Benoun, federal agents and officers from the Santa Ana and Tustin police departments searched the Tustin apartment of Benoun’s mother and found four more ounces of the C4 explosive. They also found two pounds of gunpowder, blasting caps, a pipe bomb and detonators that are used to scare seals away from fish nets, D’Angelo said.

Federal agents and Garden Grove police then searched the Garden Grove apartment of Benoun’s girlfriend but did not find any explosives there.

D’Angelo said there is no indication that Benoun’s mother or girlfriend were aware that he had the explosives and were not implicated in the case.

Investigators would not reveal what Benoun was allegedly planning to do with the gun or the explosives but they said he was apparently acting alone. D’Angelo also declined to say how the suspect obtained the explosives or why.

A U.S. magistrate judge charged Benoun with possession of a destructive device Friday afternoon. Benoun was then transferred to the Federal Detention Center in Los Angeles.