Man convicted of possession of explosives and illegal weapons sentenced to federal prison

A registered sex offender was sentenced Friday to 12 years in federal prison after he was arrested last year with a pipe bomb and an arsenal of illegal weapons in a Spokane home. Michael James Pauckert was found in a Spokane home on the 1400 block of West Alice Avenue in May 2012. Pauckert, who was wanted in Kootenai County on a warrant for failing to register as a sex offender, was armed with a cache of illegal firearms and an inactive pipe bomb in the home’s garage, according to court records. Investigators also discovered tools for making false IDs, according to records. Pauckert was staying at the home with his girlfriend, according to previous reports. He initially resisted arrest, but surrendered after the SWAT team surrounded his home. Pauckert was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison and three years supervised release.