Florida Man Arrested For Placing Explosives at Hard Rock Tampa

On Wednesday, a 45-year-old man was arrested after allegedly placing two explosive devices at Florida’s Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa in September. 

This is the latest Florida casino-related crime since an attorney in the state allegedly stole $1.8 million from trust funds to gamble it at, coincidentally, Hard Rock Tampa. 

The Man Arrested

The 45-year-old man arrested is Bryan Robert Eckley from Tampa, Florida. He was charged with two counts of making, possessing, throwing, projecting, placing, or discharging a destructive device with the intent to cause harm. 

As far as we’re aware, he remains in jail at Hillsborough County Jail, and no bond has been set. He could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison if convicted. 

Hard Rock Evacuated Multiple Times

The two devices were placed in bathrooms on September 29 and 30, requiring two evacuations of the property within 12 hours. 

Police described the devices as a “crude concealed device with firework components.”

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Eckley used a radio-controlled burner cellphone during this. 

A casino employee spotted the devices, and the bomb squad at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched. 

Initially, Eckley was masked and got away. He was seen acting suspiciously before the incident. 

“Eckley did everything he could to hide from law enforcement,” FDLE Tampa Bay Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell said in a recent statement. “But thanks to the exceptional work of this investigative and forensic team, he will be held accountable for his actions.”

At first, investigators had little to go off of regarding a suspect. 

“All we had that morning was an unknown suspect who placed two devices in a public place, and he might do it again,” Brutnell was quoted by Florida TV station WTVT. “We had zero leads. We had nothing to go on.”

Eventually, though, they could track him down after analyzing limited surveillance footage. 

Eckley Arrested In The Past

On September 27, just days before placing the devices, Eckley was arrested for aggravated assault with a firearm and discharging a firearm on a residential property in Hillsborough County. This came after he and another man had a political disagreement. 

Following the argument, Eckley went back to the home of the victim armed with two handguns and a rifle, pointed a gun at him, and fired in the air. 

Eckley, who owns ProTex Roofing based in Tampa, was charged, and the case is pending in court.