Tampa, FL— In a shocking case out of Florida, Bryan Robert Eckley, 46, a Tampa-based roofing company owner, has been charged with planting radio-controlled explosives in the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. The incident, which occurred on September 30, came just days after Eckley was released on bail for a separate firearms-related arrest.
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), casino staff discovered the first device in a restroom toilet, prompting an immediate evacuation. Bomb squad experts located a second device in another toilet shortly after. Both were positioned in a way that could have caused severe injuries had they detonated, including one placed near a gas line, police reported.
Eckley, who operates ProTex Roofing, was previously charged with aggravated assault with a firearm after allegedly pointing a rifle and firing a warning shot during a heated political argument. He was released on bond just three days before the bomb threat incident at the casino.
Authorities connected Eckley to the explosives using forensic evidence from the prior assault case. Video footage and witness testimony also placed Eckley at the casino before the devices were found. Law enforcement officials, including FDLE Special Agent Mark Brutnell and Sheriff Chad Chronister, credited the investigative team for identifying and apprehending Eckley, who had reportedly attempted to evade capture.
Eckley faces multiple serious charges, including possession and placement of destructive devices, and is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on November 5.
