After a near-catastrophic derailment occurrence that occurred in the month of August in Ohio, personnel of the CSX train company uncovered a startling finding. A train was going through its paces in preparation for an employee appreciation day when it collided with an obstacle on the track. This momentarily derailed the train, but it was able to go back on track after the wheels were realigned.
According to the court records, what first looked to be a curious accident took on a darker dimension when additional “purposefully placed” components matching procedures taught by international terrorist organizations for making homemade derailment devices were discovered along the tracks. These methods were used to create manufactured devices that caused the train to derail. Because of this revelation, an investigation was launched, which ultimately resulted in the arrest of a guy named Joseph Findley, who is being charged with carrying out terrorist acts against train carriers.
The assertion that Findley’s mother made in defense of her son is that he was not a terrorist. She went on to explain that he was going through a difficult time as a result of the loss of his job and the end of his relationship, but she insisted that he had never participated in behavior of this kind. In spite of her denial, the evidence that has been produced by the FBI and federal prosecutors paints a different picture.
After the disaster that occurred in August, workers for CSX reported discovering impediments such as tie plates, spikes, and other pieces of metal that had been purposefully wedged between the guardrail and the track. The criminal complaint disclosed that, during the months of August and October, Findley reportedly positioned these things five times. The positioning of these things suggested that the perpetrator was familiar with the operations of the track and had the capacity to impede such operations.
Local businesses that are located near the rails took pictures of a guy in the area where the incident happened in August, which led to the cameras that monitor the lines being moved to new positions. Additional incidences with debris on the rails, this time with sharp spikes pointing skyward, have caused worry for the safety of residents who live in close proximity to the train lines.
The culprit, who was seen on the surveillance tape wearing a black shirt and denim shorts, was able to be identified by the detectives thanks to the evidence. During the months of September and October, the same individual was seen inspecting the switches and manipulating other components of the track.
The customers and staff of the store were able to identify the guy in the video photographs as Joseph Findley, a local citizen who is notorious for his drinking habits. Following the execution of a search warrant at Findley’s residence, detectives located the clothes that was shown in the surveillance cameras, which led to the subsequent arrest of Findley.
Findley is said to have acknowledged to putting railroad spikes on the rails and confessed to being the person shown on the security footage. On the other hand, he said that he did not place any additional things on the rails with the intention of derailing a train.