State-Journal.com - Explosives suspect released

Joshua Drew Logan, whose arrest on marijuana and wanton endangerment charges caused an evacuation of the Northwood Road area, has been released because he hasn’t been indicted.

The evacuation created a spectacle in June when sheriff’s deputies allegedly found explosive compounds and an indoor marijuana growing operation inside the home of Logan’s mother at 145 Northwood Road.

Logan, a 30-year-old former sergeant in the National Guard, was charged with cultivation of marijuana and wanton endangerment and held in the Franklin County Regional Jail.

However, he was there for more than 60 days without an indictment, according to an order prepared by his attorney, Michael Hawkins, and signed Monday by Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate and Franklin District Judge Kathy Mangeot.

Hawkins cited the Kentucky Rules of Criminal Procedure, which say a defendant can’t be held longer than 60 days without an indictment.

It’s unclear where Logan will stay or if he has any conditions of his release. Hawkins couldn’t be reached for comment. Logan was being held on a 10 percent of $500,000 bond.

According to testimony during Logan’s June 29 preliminary hearing, sheriff’s deputies arrested Logan June 21 after receiving a tip that Logan had been selling marijuana from the home of his mother, Tierelee Logan, a local teacher.

The deputies returned to Tierelee Logan’s home at 145 Northwood Road and she led them to a back bedroom and bathroom, where deputies found 51 total marijuana plants.

The deputies continued their search in Logan’s basement and found an unloaded rocket launcher tube, chemicals and wires.

State police and officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were called and homes within a 300-foot radius were evacuated early June 22. Authorities found another unloaded rocket launcher tube, chemicals in labeled jars, PVC piping and suspected detonators.

The chemicals were field-tested and confirmed as explosives.

Jackey Edwards, a supervisor with the state police’s Hazardous Devices Unit, testified that three of those chemicals found – technically known as hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) – are commonly used in explosives, with HMTD the most dangerous and used in some terrorist attacks.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Larry Cleveland declined to comment on Joshua Drew Logan’s release.

There was some speculation that Logan would be federally charged because U.S. authorities were involved in the case. Kyle Edelen, public affairs officer for the U.S. attorney’s office in Lexington, couldn’t be reached for comment.