Larry Eugene North was from Henderson, in Rusk County, Texas. He was 52 at the time of the bombing attempts.[1]
North received almost a million dollars from a settlement regarding an incident at his work, which left him paralyzed.[2]
Between February 5 and April 7, 2010, North planted 36 improvised explosive devices in 26 different locations across eastern Texas.[1][3][4] Half of them were in mailboxes and the other half were in assorted locations.[4] Of the 36 devices, the final ten planted were pipe bombs.[5] None of the devices exploded, and nobody was injured.[1][6] Some of the bombs were duds as they contained cereal instead of gunpowder.[2] Molotov cocktails and nooses were also found inside the mailboxes.[7]
The investigation was headed by the ATF, FBI, Postal Inspection Service, Texas Rangers, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and others.[8] A $25,000 reward was given for information.[7]
Prosecutors and North's defense claimed his motive was anger at the United States federal government over their lack of help in getting his money back, after allegedly being scammed by a bank executive.[3][2] North says he lost almost a million dollars when his bank closed. An executive at the bank supposedly spent thousands of dollars in North's name without his consent.[2]
The ATF found a UPC code written on one of the bomb's components, and cross-referenced it with purchases made in local stores. North had purchased the said component, and was seen on multiple stores' surveillance cameras purchasing bomb-making materials.[9] At the beginning of April, he was put under surveillance.[4][10] ATF agents were following him around Tyler on the morning of April 7. They spotted him placing a pipe bomb into a mailbox, where he was then arrested.[1][2] A pipe bomb was found in the van he was driving, and bomb-making materials were discovered at his home.[11]
He was indicted for possession of an illegal firearm or destructive device, use of a weapon of mass destruction, and obstruction of mail.[1][3][2] In June 2011 he pleaded guilty. His defense asked for a sentence of 14 months in prison, but ultimately, he was sentenced to 87 months.[2] He was released in July 2017.[9]