BEAUMONT, Texas — The federal trial of the man dubbed the “Beaumont Bomber” began Thursday morning.
Jonathan Torres is accused of being the man who put residents on edge after planting two devices around Beaumont. One device exploded, the other did not.
Torres has been charged with using an explosive to cause property damage, possession of an unregistered destructive device and mailing a threatening communication.
Attorney Ryan Gertz is representing Torres, and is filing for an acquittal.
Gertz argues that the accusations do not meet the criteria to be federal charges, and it's an overreach by the federal government.
Torres was initially facing three charges. They were using an explosive to cause property damage, possession of an unregistered destructive device and mailing a threatening communication. The third charge, mailing a threatening communication has been dropped. Torres has given an conditional guilty plea to the charge of possession of an unregistered destructive device.
Right now, the charge of using an explosive device to cause property damage that is in question.
The judge said there will be a 10 day period to file for the acquittal and both the prosecution and defense have 10 days to submit their conclusions and findings of the trial.
If convicted during the bench trial before Federal District Judge Thad Heartfield he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Torres is a 1996 graduate of Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School who neighbors previously described to 12News as “generally a good guy.”
In January 2016 Torres, who once served as a U.S. Marine according to prosecutors, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance in "penalty group one" of less than a gram, a state jail felony, for which he received two years on probation, according to a background check.
MORE | Read the criminal complaint
MORE | Report on Torres’ competency
The “Beaumont Bomber” caused chaos and worry for people all over Southeast Texas.
On April 26, 2018, a homemade destructive device was discovered at the Starbuck’s on Dowlen Road.
In the package was a note on an index card that read, "....Die usa signed jh." This package was not opened and did not detonate.
The next day, April 27, 2018, the Beaumont Police Department received a suspicious note taunting police. It read "do you want Bmt to become another Austin."
The note was similar to the one left with the package at Starbuck’s.
Almost two weeks later, on May 10, 2018, damage and the remains of a an explosive device were discovered outside an office at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church on Delaware Street.
The detonation caused minor damage to the building.
Investigators said components of that device were similar to those of the device discovered at Starbuck’s.
A day later, May 11, 2018, Beaumont Police received another taunting postcard.
This postcard had an image of the character from the DC Comics "V" for Vendetta and read: "would you like to play a game-jh.”
Police received a third postcard, bearing the image of the creature from the Black Lagoon, on May 14, 2018.
The third postcard stated, "there are two others did you not get them?-Jh."
Police received a fourth postcard on May 17, 2019 with the image of the DC Comics character “The Atom.
This fourth card, written in green ink, read "none of these have been deemed a credible threat-jh.”
A search warrant was executed on May 24, 2018, at Torres' home on El Paso Street in Beaumont’s north end.
Investigators recovered multiple containers of the same type of explosive materials used in the Starbuck’s and St. Stephen's explosive devices.
RELATED: Former roommate John Hancock speaks out about living with suspected Beaumont bomber Jonathan Torres