Former Army officer faces federal charge of possessing grenades at his Overland Park home

A former U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal officer was charged in federal court Friday with illegal possession of hand grenades found in his Overland Park home.

John A. Panchalk, 42, was charged Friday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., after a search of his home turned up the military fragmentation grenades and about 38 pounds of the plastic explosive C-4.

Under federal law, it is illegal to possess a “destructive device” such as a grenade unless it is registered with federal authorities.

The search came after a trailer owned by Panchalk was broken into and vandalized at a self-storage facility in Parkville. Police investigating that incident found explosive materials and contacted federal authorities.

Panchalk, who was employed as a firearms instructor at an Olathe shooting range, was taken into custody and booked into the Johnson County jail Thursday night after Overland Park police and federal agents searched his home in the 11600 block of Hauser Street.

Overland Park police said no one had to be evacuated from the area and there was no danger to the public.

According to federal court documents, the investigation began earlier Thursday at the Parkville self-storage facility in the 10800 block of Northwest Missouri 45, where several trailers and vehicles had been broken into.

In and around one of the trailers, officers found ammunition canisters, and when they opened one of them, they found a block of C-4 plastic explosive, blasting caps and military grenade simulators.

After officers determined that the trailer was owned by Panchalk, Overland Park officers were sent to his home to get an inventory of what was in the trailer.

When questioned about the trailer, Panchalk was “evasive,” according to the court documents. He also allegedly gave “noncommittal” answers when asked if there were explosives in the house.

Concerned for their safety and the safety of others, police went inside the house and saw several items in plain view, including several possible grenades, a rocket and a casing for a light anti-tank weapon.

Panchalk told officers the items were inert and used as training aids, but he “remained evasive” about the C-4 and other items found in Parkville, according to the court documents.

After obtaining a search warrant for the home, officers said they found about 38 pounds of C-4, blasting caps, detonation cord, incendiary devices, grenade simulators and two M-67 fragmentation grenades.

The grenades were examined and found to be operational, according to the documents. Officials also determined that they were not registered as required by federal law.

Panchalk worked as a firearms instructor at Centerfire Shooting Sports. His instructor biography appeared on the shooting range’s website before someone removed it Friday morning.

According to the biography, Panchalk is a decorated combat veteran who spent 10 years in the Army as an explosive ordnance disposal officer.

After leaving the Army as a captain, he worked as a security contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan and served as an instructor at the Army’s explosive ordnance disposal training center in Alabama.

He also spent a year at the Afghan National Police Academy in Kabul as part of a team that trained other instructors and set up a curriculum for that country’s bomb disposal school, according to his online biography.

Neighbors said they were shocked to see the police activity on their block Thursday.

Pat Tabel, who lives next door to Panchalk, said she knew of his military background and said she felt “really good” about having him as a neighbor.

“I can’t tell you what a nice guy he is,” Tabel said.

Tabel said she first noticed two police officers talking to Panchalk outside his home Thursday afternoon. Soon she saw five police cars and later the police department bomb squad.

“They were still there when we went to bed,” she said.

This story was originally published May 20, 2016 at 9:03 AM with the headline "Former Army officer faces federal charge of possessing grenades at his Overland Park home."