Federal investigators say the suspect in Saturday's bombings in New York and New Jersey bought components on eBay and used as triggering devices cell phones purchased from a store 500 meters from an address he once listed as his home.
The details are contained in criminal complaints made public Tuesday spelling out multiple federal charges against 28-year-old Ahmad Khan Ramani. Most of the charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Authorities arrested Ramani on Monday after an exchange of gunfire with police that left him and two officers wounded.
According to the court documents, investigators believe Ramani used an eBay account with the username "ahmad rahimi" to buy citric acid, a circuit board, electric igniters and hundreds of ball bearings between June 20 and August 10. The items were shipped to a business in Perth Amboy, New Jersey where Ramani worked until September 12.
Ball bearings were found in two pressure cooker bombs placed four blocks apart in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York late Saturday. One of them exploded, injuring 29 people, while the other was recovered intact. Investigators said the second bomb had "numerous" electric igniters.