By DAISY HERNANDEZ, The New York Times
A Queens man on parole was arrested on Thursday on charges that a jailhouse acquaintance paid him to plant five crude bombs and two guns in a police officer’s sport utility vehicle last month, the police said.
The man, Andrasan Scott, 29, was paid by Stephen Alster to plant the weapons in Officer Yensy Thomas’s S.U.V., the police said.
Mr. Alster is serving a 20-year prison term for setting off a pipe bomb at Ms. Thomas’s Brooklyn Heights home in 2001.
The police say they believe that Mr. Alster hoped that the planted weapons would create doubt about his guilt in the explosion two years ago.
Mr. Scott, who had six previous arrests, was serving time for attempted weapons possession when he met Mr. Alster at Rikers Island in September 2001, the police said.
On March 31, a month after being released on parole, Mr. Scott planted the pipe bombs and guns in Ms. Thomas’s car parked outside her Brooklyn Heights home, police said. Two 911 calls directed police to the guns and bombs, and three blocks were shut down until it was determined that the bombs had no triggers.
The incident happened the day before depositions in a civil case against Mr. Alster were to be taken. Ms. Thomas is suing Mr. Alster for $75 million for the emotional trauma to her two young daughters.
The police arrested Mr. Scott on Thursday morning at his home on 148th Road in Rosedale, Queens. A search of the house turned up wires, drill bits, and a five-gallon container of an adhesive called Cove, the authorities said. Mr. Scott was charged with conspiracy, reckless endangerment, and criminal possession of a weapon, the police said.
Based on the investigation, Sergeant John Santos, commanding officer of the Police Department’s arson and explosion unit, said, “We feel Alster orchestrated this scenario from jail to help his conviction appeal.”
Mr. Alster’s lawyer did not return calls yesterday. A spokesman for the Brooklyn district attorney said charges of conspiracy would not be filed against Mr. Alster.
A military aficionado, Mr. Alster had befriended 31-year-old Ms. Thomas, who is now a police officer in the 13th precinct in Manhattan. During a May 29, 2001, party for Ms. Thomas, who had graduated from the Police Academy earlier that day, Mr. Alster set off a pipe bomb in a tool room adjoining the Brooklyn Heights apartment where she lived with her husband.
Mr. Alster, then 64, was the only one injured, and the authorities were not sure of his motive.
Kenwood Jolicouer, who lived next door to Mr. Scott in Queens, was surprised to hear about the arrest. Mr. Scott, who worked as a handyman, seemed like a regular guy to him. Mr. Jolicouer said he would see him go to work and spend time with a girlfriend.