Reseda man convicted in 2009 ammunition stockpile explosion

A Reseda gun enthusiast whose stockpile of ammunition exploded in 2009, causing hundreds of bullets to fire into the air and forcing the evacuation of neighbors, was convicted this week.

Edward Wyman, 64, was found guilty of a felony environmental crime for illegally storing toxic and explosive hazardous wastes in the backyard, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Wyman had kept hundreds of pounds of gunpowder and thousands of rounds of ammunition, some corroded and dating back to World Ward II, in four metal containers in his backyard, which was filled with more than 10,000 empty shell casings and junk he had collected.

Wyman, a Vietnam War veteran, claimed he was a weapons expert, said Nichole Choice, a juror from Toluca Lake. He apparently made and sold bullets around the San Fernando Valley.

"He said he didn't get to work with weapons enough in the war," Choice said. "In his own world, was how he struck us all ... it seemed like a joke to him."

After a five-day trial, the jury deliberated for about five hours on Tuesday and also found that Wyman knowingly placed another person in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury.

Investigators also found lead-contaminated waste from shooting ranges, military cannon power and industrial solvents that contained hazardous chemicals,

according prosecutors. Wyman did not have a permit to store the materials.

The cache exploded on the morning of May 31, 2009, in the 19200 block of Ingomar Street, burning a metal shed and a neighbor's barn to the ground. Investigators were unable to determine how the fire started.

Firefighters had to wear bulletproof vests as they responded to the fire because of the ammunition that was being "cooked off" in the fire, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

At least one bullet flew through a neighbor's property about the length of a football field away, Choice said. Nearly 80 neighbors were evacuated and could not return home until that night.

At the time of the blast, Wyman was watching TV in bed while his two adult daughters and five grandchildren were in another room. At least one child, a 2-year-old, lived on the property, according to testimony.

"He created an extremely dangerous situation that put the lives of his family and the community in danger," said prosecutor Mark Williams. "He knew what he had back there. He knew the danger it posed, and he kept it back there anyway."

Calls made to the home went unanswered.

"I'm glad I was able to make the Valley a safer place," Choice said. "I wouldn't want to live next door to him."

Wyman faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison when he returns to court July 11.

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