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Authorities say man left improvised explosive devices at Hard Rock Casino in Tampa
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Authorities say man left improvised explosive devices at Hard Rock Casino in Tampa

A man arrested this week is accused of leaving two improvised explosive devices in the restrooms of the Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, authorities said.

Bryan Robert Eckley, 46, of Tampa, was arrested Wednesday on two counts of making and installing destructive devices with intent to cause harm, authorities announced Thursday. The charge is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Eckley left the devices in two men’s restrooms at the casino, 5223 Orient Road, late on Sept. 29 and early on Sept. 30, Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said at a news conference in Tampa.

A casino employee found the first device and prompted authorities to evacuate the casino, and then investigators found the second device. Brutnell said the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad responded to the incident and “secured both devices.”

Brutnell said the devices could be controlled remotely but did not provide further details about them. Eckley’s motive is still under investigation, he said.

The affidavit for Eckley’s arrest was not immediately available Thursday.

Bryan Robert Eckley, 46, of Tampa, is seen in a booking photo taken in Hillsborough County following his arrest Wednesday.
Bryan Robert Eckley, 46, of Tampa, is seen in a booking photo taken in Hillsborough County following his arrest Wednesday. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)

The Seminole Police Department asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate. Investigators discovered a man was acting suspiciously at the casino a few days earlier and was seen driving a white Ford Explorer, and authorities traced him to Eckley, Brutnell said.

Eckley was arrested Sept. 26 on charges of aggravated assault. In that case, he is accused of “getting into an argument about politics” with a man, leaving the man’s home where the argument took place and returning with two handguns and a rifle, according to an arrest affidavit. Eckley knocked on the door, and when the man answered they began arguing again. Eckley pointed his rifle at the man and then fired into the air, the affidavit said.

Eckley was arrested later that night at his home in the 14000 block of Bournemouth Road on charges of aggravated assault with a firearm and discharging a firearm into residential property. He was released Sept. 27 after posting $5,500 bail, records show. This case is still ongoing.

Investigators used forensic evidence collected in that case to trace the explosive devices at the Hard Rock to Eckley, Brutnell said. Security cameras at the casino captured Eckley wearing a medical-style mask to try to hide his identity, Brutnell said.

“He will now be held accountable for his actions that could have endangered many lives,” Brutnell said.

Eckley was booked into the Hillsborough County jail on Wednesday and was held without bail Thursday, records show. He owns a Tampa roofing company called ProTex Roofing, according to jail records.

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Eckley, who founded the company, was born and raised in Tampa and studied business and finance at Plant High School and the University of Florida, according to the company’s website.