Brothers accused of throwing pipe bomb at Freedom Township bar on Sept. 11

Joshua Andrew Hafner-Canter, 19, of Manchester, and Joseph Allen Hafner-Canter, 20, of Saline, were charged Monday with two counts each of arson of a dwelling, arson of real property and placing an explosive near property causing damage, Washtenaw County court records show.

Up to four more arrests are possible, records show. If convicted, the brothers could spend the rest of their lives in prison.

Joshua Hafner-Canter was arraigned Monday afternoon at the Washtenaw County Jail, where he is being held on a $10,000 cash or surety bond.

According to The Jackson Citizen Patriot, Joseph Hafner-Canter also is in custody, and the brothers are allegedly part of a larger crime ring involved in drug trafficking.

Police say the brothers and another man, who has not been charged, went to the bar on Pleasant Lake Road at 11:20 p.m. on Sept. 11 on orders to retaliate against an employee who reportedly owed one of their associates money.

The brothers planned to throw the pipe bomb through a window into the bar, State Police Lt. Wynonia Sturdivant said. Numerous people were inside that night, she said.

To distract patrons, the man with the brothers was going to set a fire in the basement hallway, using gasoline to fuel it. Three apartments are in the basement, including one that was occupied that night, Sturdivant said. Once the fire was set, the man was to call the brothers, which was their signal to throw the bomb, troopers said.

According to Sturdivant, the man set the fire but forgot his phone. Joshua Hafner-Canter threw the bomb anyway, troopers said, but it fell short of the bar, exploding and leaving a large hole in the deck.

A man who lives in the basement and was attempting to evacuate from the fire was hit with broken glass when a window blew out, Sturdivant said.

Joshua Hafner-Canter received an envelope containing $1,000 for his role in the crime, Sturdivant said.

Manchester firefighters extinguished the fire that night, but no one saw remnants of the pipe bomb until the following afternoon, court records show.

That's when state police bomb investigators and ATF agents responded, recovering pieces of PVC pipe, large bolts, a clamp, black electrical tape and other items, court records show.

Sections of carpet in the basement hallway were analyzed, and the presence of gasoline was found, records show. Some lab results didn't come back until June.

Bar employees couldn't be reached for comment Monday.

Joshua Hafner-Canter was arraigned Monday in front of Magistrate Thomas Truesdell, who set the $10,000 cash or surety bail.

“These are pretty serious charges,” Truesdell said. “It certainly causes concern there might be a danger to the public.”

Hafner-Canter said it was a “misunderstanding.” He said he has no adult criminal record and works at a restaurant in Saline, making about $100 weekly. Truesdell said he would appoint a public defender to represent Hafner-Canter.

A preliminary hearing for Hafner-Canter is scheduled for Aug. 12.

Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 or e-mail at leehiggins@annarbor.com.