FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Local Man Faces Federal Charges for Explosive Threats
Contact: Susan Lilly, Public Information Officer
970-729-2028 susanl@sanmiguelsheriff.org
May 24, 2022 -- (San Miguel County, CO) – The San Miguel Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office of threats made by Bryan Randolph Cornwell, age 39, of Norwood. Mr. Cornwell was arrested by Sheriff’s Deputies under a federal warrant Friday and charged by criminal complaint with making threats by means of explosives.
According to the arrest affidavit, Mr. Cornwell was contacted as a person of interest during an investigation of an unattended death of a Norwood woman in February. Since then, the Sheriff’s Office observed and reported that Mr. Cornwell became increasingly agitated and allegedly sent threatening text messages to one of the investigators threatening to “blow up” the Norwood Sheriff’s Office and two other local Norwood businesses.
Sheriff Bill Masters said there is no current threat to public safety. “We appreciate the FBI’s swift action to detain Mr. Cornwell on these serious charges.”
Mr. Cornwell is a former Telluride ski patroller and handled explosives under supervision for avalanche control and mitigation. Telski told investigators that since his termination in February 2021, Mr. Cornwell has not had any access to its explosives.
Mr. Cornwell was released Monday, May 23rd from the San Miguel County Jail and taken into custody by federal agents. He made his appearance in federal court in Grand Junction that day where he was apprised of the charges pending against him.
If convicted, Cornwell faces no more than ten years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
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The San Miguel Sheriff’s Office, located in Telluride, Colorado and established in 1883, serves 7,800 residents and countless visitors across the 1,288 square miles of San Miguel County. Sheriff Bill Masters has been serving as the county’s elected Sheriff since 1980.