Nitrogen thieves plead guilty to felony charges


By Jesse Lewis
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Wednesday, June 23, 2004

Two students responsible for igniting liquid nitrogen bombs in October have plead guilty to charges.

The students pled guilty to charges that they knowingly controlled property and attempted theft of property regularly available to them as students of a lab, but claimed that it was not intended for their personal use.

Steven Kobes, a computer sciences senior, and John Buonagurio, an optical sciences freshman, were arrested on Oct. 27, 2003 for stealing liquid nitrogen from a campus lab and igniting dry ice bombs from Yavapai Residence Hall, 1222 E. South Campus Drive.

As previously reported in the Wildcat, Kobes was charged with two counts of misconduct involving weapons, possession of burglary tools and third degree burglary and theft, all of which are felonies.

Buonagurio was charged with one felony count of misconduct involving weapons, and misdemeanor counts of theft and interfering with an educational institution.

Both students were also charged with misdemeanor counts of criminal trespassing.

By pleading guilty to "attempted theft by control," the men face a lesser sentence than their original charges.

The men face up to two years in jail, three years probation and a possible $271,000 in fines each, reports stated.