Upton Man Sentenced For Placing Explosive Device At Oilfield

An Upton man will serve 30 months in federal prison after admitting he placed a potentially explosive device at an oilfield site near town last year.

On Jan. 27, U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson sentenced 40-year-old David Riggle to 30 months’ imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for possessing a destructive device. The court also ordered Riggle to pay a $300 fine.

Riggle was arrested in April 2025 in connection with an incident that began on Nov. 30, 2024, when workers at a drilling company’s storage yard in Weston County smelled propane coming from inside a storage trailer. A routine check revealed a battery-powered device rigged with wires, a timer, and a fuse placed next to an open 100-pound propane tank. Investigators believe the timer was meant to delay ignition so the person who set it could leave the area before it activated. Although the device never ignited, federal authorities said it was capable of serious damage.

Read more: KTWO