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MOAB — Last fall, a Utah man was arrested after trying to disrupt a wedding ceremony near Moab by claiming bombs had been planted all around the area.
Now investigators say that man, Connor Freeman Sprague, was hired by the bride's estranged brother and brother-in-law to crash the wedding.
On Monday, Daniel M. Preston, 38, of Parker, Colorado, and Jeffrey Paul Hack, 30, of Tucson, Arizona, were each charged in 7th District Court with two counts of criminal conspiracy, third-degree felonies.
On Aug. 5, Sprague walked up to a wedding ceremony being held at the Whispering Oaks Ranch near Moab and told one of the wedding planners that "he had been abducted the night before and that an unknown individual planted bombs in the area and on him," according to charging documents.
Sprague was asked to leave and Grand County sheriff's deputies were called but were unable to locate him. About 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 6, however, Sprague was spotted again and deputies returned to the area. This time, Sprague was stopped about 2½ miles from the ranch on the La Sal Mountain Loop Road.
During a search of Sprague's vehicle, deputies found "a substance, field tested positive for marijuana, a substance field tested positive for cocaine, two containers of Tannerite, a set of nunchucks, and a bow with arrows," according to the charges. Tannerite is a binary explosive. Police also reported finding firearm ammunition in the vehicle, as well as a "small plastic bottle with a paper sticking out of the top, fashioned in a manner that was to appear like a Molotov cocktail."
After his arrest, Grand County sheriff's deputies were contacted by the bride of the wedding and several of her friends and family members who all noted "the possibility of a conspiracy between Sprague" and estranged family members.
"The reason for the concern of a conspiracy having occurred is because when (the bride's mother) was uninvited from the wedding, she called (the bride) and told her that if she was not going to be allowed at the wedding she would 'crash it' and that (the bride) would regret not inviting her," a search warrant affidavit alleges.
When Sprague was further questioned by police, he claimed Hack had told him to come to Moab and "crash the wedding," the affidavit states. "Sprague denied being told to use explosives, fireworks or any other device as such, and said that he believes he was supposed to get too drunk and cause a scene. Sprague also denies any sort of payment for this act, but does say that he has owed (Hack) money for some time."
Investigators downloaded Sprague's cellphone data and discovered that between July 14 and Aug. 7, he had been in communication with Hack and Preston, and that there were "multiple texts and phone calls with Sprague, Hack, and Preston discussing Sprague going to Moab to crash the wedding and encourage his activities for that day," charging documents state.
Sprague was questioned by police again in November. This time, he said that "Hack gave him specific information of people that were going to be at the wedding in order to talk his way in. Sprague also stated that he asked Hack for $400 in order to buy supplies and a shirt," according to the charges.
Sprague was convicted in December of criminal mischief and two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon tied to the wedding threats. He was given suspended prison and jail sentences in January and instead sentenced to three years of probation.
