Former USPS worker faces federal charges after pipe bombs found at apartment

CHARLOTTE — A former United States Postal Service worker now faces federal charges after he was accused of having pipe bombs.

Derek Johnson’s troubles started in state court, but they’ve now made their way to federal court where he was officially charged. He faces decades in prison if convicted.

We first reported on Johnson last year, when bomb squad members moved in on his south Charlotte apartment off Nations Ford Road.

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Newly unsealed warrants say inside, investigators found two pipe-bomb-type explosive devices, a Glock 45 9-milimeter pistol, a 30-round capacity magazine fully loaded, other loaded magazines, and a bag of assorted screws. In addition, they found a “handwritten demand note that appeared to be intended to be given to a victim during a bank or business robbery.”

Derek Johnson A former United States Postal Service worker now faces federal charges after he was accused of having pipe bombs. Derek Johnson’s troubles started in state court, but they’ve now made their way to federal court where he was officially charged. (Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office)

Authorities in York County said days before, Johnson had called in a bomb threat to Fort Mill High School.

Tiffany Alexander is with the Charlotte chapter of the American Postal Workers Union. She spoke with Channel 9′s Hunter Sáenz about Johnson, who was a USPS worker hired just two weeks before his arrest.

“It’s terrifying,” she said, adding, “It’s really scary to know that we had someone in our facilities, access to mail, access to our vehicles.”

Among Johnson’s charges was “having a weapon of mass destruction.” But those local charges were all dismissed by the district attorney. It’s because now, he’s been federally charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and two counts of possession of a firearm not registered in the national firearms registration for allegedly having explosive devices.

Alexander is just glad authorities took it all seriously.

“Everybody’s a little safer with this man off the streets,” she said.

Alexander said she still doesn’t understand how Johnson was able to get a job at USPS, knowing he had a previous burglary conviction. The last time Hunter Sáenz spoke with USPS, he was told a criminal conviction is not an automatic reason to deny someone a job with them.

If convicted of all charges, Johnson faces up to 35 years in prison.

(PREVIOUS: Man charged with having pipe bombs, threatening school also worked for USPS)