Florida

Florida Doctor Arrested After Homemade Explosives, Drugs Found in Home: Sheriff

Dr. Christy Daniel Cugini, 63, was arrested Tuesday after search warrant executed at Naples home

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A Florida doctor is facing charges after authorities said they found multiple homemade explosive devices and drugs in his Naples home.

Dr. Christy Daniel Cugini, 63, was arrested Tuesday on nine charges of making or possessing a destructive device and six drug charges, including possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of narcotics equipment, according to a Collier County Sheriff's Office arrest report.

According to the report, investigators served a search warrant at Cugini's home and found nearly 560 grams of marijuana in his bedroom.

"The majority of the marijuana was sealed in vacuum bags consistent with delivery/sale of marijuana," the report said.

Dr. Christy Cugini

Investigators also found various pill bottles that had other peoples' names on them, which contained Oxycodone and Hydrocodone, in addition to paraphernalia including heat seal bags, a vacuum sealer and a scale, the report said.

Located in a safe in the home was $20,000 in cash and jewelry, the report said.

But perhaps the most shocking find came when the bomb squad responded to the home and found what appeared to be multiple improvised explosive devices, the report said.

In Cugini's bedroom were six red cylindrical devices approximately 4 inches in length and 1.5 inches in diameter, each with a green fuse protruding from the end, the report said.

"The items bore no markings or warnings, and the construction of the devices was inconsistent and sloppy," the report noted.

Three other devices that were found appeared to be improvised mines and consisted of PVC pipe affixed to a small square of wood, and inserted into each PVC pipe was a rifle round, secured in with white foam, with a screw in the wood block that rested against the primer on the rifle round, the report said.

"The device could be placed on the ground in such a manner as to leave the rifle round facing up. If downward pressure were applied on the tip of the round, presumably caused by someone stepping on it, the round would be pushed downward into the PVC pipe, causing the screw to strike the primer," the report said. "This would cause the rifle round to discharge, launching the projectile portion of the round upward, presumably into the foot of the subject stepping on it."

A search of the home also turned up a plastic bag containing miscellaneous commercially produced fireworks, a vitamin bottle containing flash powder which is used in fireworks, a plastic tub of potassium nitrate, and a box of cold packs with an active ingredient of ammonium nitrate, both of which can be used as oxidizers in the creation of homemade explosives, the report said.

"Neither of these devices has a legitimate purpose other than to cause injury to persons or damage to property," the report said.

Cugini, an endocrinologist with Millennium Physician Group, was booked into jail. Attorney information wasn't available.

"We are shocked at the allegations regarding Dr. Christy Cugini. He has been placed on administrative leave until further notice," Millennium Physician Group said in a statement. "We would like to assure our patients we are diligently working to preserve their continuity of care."

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