Lexington man charged in connection to deadly explosive found in home near UK campus
A man was recently found with a deadly explosive inside his home near the University of Kentucky’s campus, according to court documents.
On February 7, the Lexington Police Department went to a home on the 200 block of University Avenue and found Timothy Umstead, 19, in possession of a deadly explosive, court documents say. The explosive contained a substance known as “rocket fuel,” which is potassium nitrate mixed with granulated sugar.
Potassium nitrate is an irritant that can intensify fire or can explode from heat or contamination, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Inhalation, ingestion or contact potassium nitrate can cause severe injury, burns or death.
Umstead was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, one count for each roommate at Umstead’s home address. Court records show that Umstead pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree wanton endangerment on Monday and was sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation.
Umstead is not allowed to possess explosive devices or materials during his probation, according to court records.
Lexington police did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the investigation.
Umstead was previously a student at UK but hasn’t been enrolled with the school since the fall 2023 semester, according to university spokesperson Jay Blanton.
A spokesperson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) confirmed the agency assisted Lexington police with its investigation.
