Texas Pipe Bomb Mystery Deepens

The Texas fertilizer plant blast first responder charged with possession of a "destructive device" will plead not guilty and maintains he had nothing to do with the explosion. Paramedic Bryce Reed, 31, was arrested after he allegedly gave materials for a pipe bomb—including galvanized metal pipe, a fuse, and several pounds of chemicals—to a man who then called police, the AP reports. Reed "had no involvement whatsoever in the explosion," his lawyer said in a statement. Authorities also say the charges have not been linked to the blast. But some larger questions about Reed are now emerging.

Reed was "let go" from West Emergency Medical Services two days after the plant blast for unknown reasons, reports the Dallas Morning News. Despite this, he continued to act as a spokesperson about the fires in the media. His LinkedIn resume claims he holds a bachelor's degree in nursing from a school that says he was never enrolled. Neighbors say they were all given different accounts of his background. Others have accused him of profiting from the tragedy. "I have not received ONE CENT for ANYTHING that I did to help with this situation. I have not been paid by the media, by press, I ...made NOTHING off of this tragedy," he wrote in a defensive Facebook post. (More Texas stories.)