Preliminary hearing set for man in pipe-bomb case

AUSTINTOWN — A man who police charged with having pipe bombs in his car last week appeared in court Monday.

Ralph R. Kistler IV, 20, of Youngstown, was arraigned Monday in front of Judge David A. D’Apolito, of Mahoning County Area Court in Austintown.

He is charged with two felony counts of possession of dangerous ordnance, a misdemeanor charge of inducing panic, a misdemeanor charge of drug paraphernalia and two traffic violations.

He entered no plea on the felony charges and innocent pleas on the misdemeanor charges.

Kistler is in Mahoning County jail on $12,500 cash bond, and when asked by D’Apolito if he’d be able to pay the bond, Kistler replied, “I’m not sure about that.”

He will appear in court for a preliminary hearing Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in Austintown.

Kistler was arrested Thursday after an Ohio State Highway Patrolman stopped him on Westchester Drive after he ran a red light on Mahoning Avenue, according to a news release.

The patrolman said he smelled suspected drugs, then called for backup from the Austintown Police Department, whose dog indicated something was in the trunk.

When the trunk was opened, police found two pipe bombs and other explosive material.

The Youngstown Bomb Squad was called in to remove the explosives and disposed of them.