Convicted felon pleads guilty to multiples charges stemming from bomb scare in Fort Myers

FORT MYERS, Fla. —

A convicted felon pleaded guilty Wednesday to a superseding indictment that charges him with possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of unregistered silencers, possession of an unregistered destructive device, and attempted malicious use of an explosive.

According to the United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida and court documents, Jesse William Korff, 31, was at a residence in Fort Myers when police were dispatched to a 911 hang-up call on May 19, 2025.

When officers arrived, they reported a hostage situation and saw Korff involved in a scuffle with a woman. Korff was detained, and officers then seized a firearm and a silencer that came loose in the scuffle, but a destructive device was found in his pocket.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office deployed its bomb squad and used a robot to remove a pipe bomb and take Korff into custody. Evidence and testing by LCSO and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) revealed that there was an attempt to detonate the device.

In Korff's vehicle, another silencer, a firearm and ammunition were found. Other bomb making materials were discovered in his residence as well.

As a convicted felon, Korff cannot possess a firearm or ammunition under federal law. He was previously convicted of transfer and possession of a toxin for use as a weapon, smuggling toxins from the United States, and conspiracy to kill, maim or injure a person in a foreign country.

Korff faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for possession of firearms by a convicted felon, up to 10 years in prison for the possession of unregistered silencers and destructive device and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for attempted malicious use of an explosive.

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