Explosives, drug charges against Gaitherburg man dropped
All charges have been dropped against a man accused of manufacturing explosives in the basement of his Gaithersburg townhouse, but prosecutors will continue to investigate the case.
Prosecutors dropped 17 of the 23 charges filed against James L. Boka, 48, in August, and dismissed the remaining charges on Nov. 10 in Montgomery County District Court, according to an online state court records database.
The charges were dropped pending further investigation, according to Boka's attorney, Thomas M. DeGonia of Venable LLP in Rockville. Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office spokeswoman Pat Gongloff confirmed that the case is still under investigation but declined further comment.
A woman who answered the phone at Boka's address in the 9100 block of Turtle Dove Lane declined comment.
Investigators searching Boka's car and home in May after receiving a tip about someone shooting off fireworks found boxes of fireworks, 11 destructive devices, marijuana and 230 pounds of chemicals commonly used to make explosives, according to police charging documents. His 12-year-old son was found sleeping with a loaded gun. A stash of weapons legally owned by Boka, including several thousand rounds of ammunition, ballistic body armor, four silencers and 30 firearms, were also found.
Two counts of allowing a minor to access a firearm, contributing to the condition of a child, marijuana possession, reckless endangerment and possession of fireworks were dismissed Nov. 10, according to the database. Prosecutors dropped 14 charges of possessing a destructive device, one count of possessing an explosive or incendiary material with the intent to construct a destructive device and two drug paraphernalia charges in August.