North Fort Myers felon gets 24 years in prison following hostage situation involving pipe bomb

A North Fort Myers man has been sentenced to 24 years for a hostage situation involving a pipe bomb. According to the Department of Justice, Jesse William Korff, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to spend 24 years in prison for 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 while on federal supervised release. Korff pleaded guilty to the charges on January 14. According to court documents, on May 19, 2025, Fort Myers police officers were dispatched to a home in Fort Myers after a 9-1-1 hang-up call. When officers arrived on scene, they discovered an active hostage situation. Officers said Korff was in a scuffle with a woman. Korff was restrained, and officers located a firearm and silencer, as well as a pipe bomb coming out of Korff's pocket. The Lee County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad unit used a robot to remove the pipe bomb from Korff's pocket and took him into custody. Court notes said that further testing by LCSO confirmed that there had been an attempt to detonate the pipe bomb. Authorities seized another silencer, gun, and ammo from Korff's vehicle, and found other bomb-making materials inside his home. Korff is a convicted felon, making it illegal for him to possess firearms or ammunition. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV