Helena man accused of school threats sentenced to prison for pipe bombs

HELENA — A Helena man accused of making threats against Helena public schools and possessing pipe bombs was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

In January, Logan Pallister, 25, pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered destructive device and an unregistered silencer in federal court.

Helena Police were notified of a possible threat at the school on the evening of Monday, May 30, 2022. A person had contacted law enforcement to say that Pallister was allegedly in possession of firearms and several bombs. The person further said Pallister allegedly had a desire to carry out a “Columbine-style” attack at a local high school. Pallister also allegedly threatened to kill the individual if he told anyone about the devices.

Pallister was arrested at his residence on the morning of May 31, 2022, while wearing a black trench coat and carrying a bag. He had eight loaded firearms concealed on his person, according to court documents.

MTN News

Law enforcement discovered eight firearms concealed on his person. A search warrant was served on Pallister's car and residence. During a search of his vehicle, officers discovered nine additional firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, a Fram oil filter that appeared to have been modified to function as a homemade silencer, and four suspected pipe bombs.

Photos: U.S. Attorney’s Office

An expert from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives examined the pipe bombs, determined that they contained an explosive mixture that, when ignited, would cause an explosion, and concluded that all four Homemade bombs were destructive devices.