In February 2014, 26-year-old Stephen James Powers and his wife Tiffany decided to start over.
Living in a small brick apartment complex behind a strip mall in Gloucester Point, Powers and his wife filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy in federal court, asking a judge to forgive almost $45,000 of tax, medical and credit card debt.
The couple was scraping by every month, bankruptcy documents show. The Powers’ monthly income fell $43 short of the $2,885 they paid each month in bills, leaving little room for saving or investing.
In June 2014, a judge relieved the couple of their debts, consisting of $600 in federal income tax, $16,939 in credit card debt, $18,727 to credit unions and $8,540 in unpaid medical bills.
Now, three years later, law enforcement officials allege that Powers planted and detonated an improvised explosive device Thursday in a parking lot at his place of employment, Colonial Williamsburg. He is charged with possession and use of an explosive device and committing an act of terrorism, according to the Williamsburg Police Department.
Bankruptcy documents paint the picture of a typical home: Five chairs, a sofa, two televisions, a pet fish, a cat, eight lamps, six clocks, pots and pans and bedding. Keepsakes and collector’s items – including the couple’s wedding rings and a signed baseball – made up the bulk of their assets at $1,810.
Powers was a clerk at 7-Eleven and his wife was a receptionist at Tidewater Physicians Multispeciality Group.
The couple’s bankruptcy lawyer, Robert Bruce Jones, told WYDaily Monday he did not remember Powers or his bankruptcy case well, and expressed surprise at the terrorism charge Powers is now facing.
Police believe Powers put the IED in the center of a parking lot behind Berret’s Seafood, detonating the device around 5 p.m. Nearby vehicles were not damaged, police said.
The day-long investigation involved multiple agencies that included Williamsburg Police, Colonial Williamsburg Public Safety, James City County, Williamsburg-James City County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Monday afternoon, a bomb squad assisted Williamsburg Police in executing search warrants in connection with the case, Williamsburg Police Department spokesman Maj. Greg Riley said.
The Powers’ bankruptcy filing estimated the couple’s assets were valued at $8,197 in 2014, and included a rifle, handgun, sporting equipment and a 1994 Toyota Corolla. Their debt totaled $44,821.
In 2011, a vehicle they purchased was repossessed by Langley Federal Credit Union, leaving them with $17,347 of debt and no vehicle.
When a person files for chapter 7 bankruptcy, their “nonexempt” assets are gathered and sold, then the proceeds are used to pay back creditors. The Powers’ debt was forgiven, and their exempt assets, including most of their home items, were left untouched.
Records filed in Williamsburg-James City County General District Court indicate Powers had worked in the maintenance department at Colonial Williamsburg for over two years. Records also stated he was married with a 1-year-old child and his job with Colonial Williamsburg was his only “financial resources.”
Powers said he has been “out of work” for a week and a half during a video arraignment in the Williamsburg-James City County General District Court Monday morning.
It is not clear whether Colonial Williamsburg’s recent restructuring and outsourcing of operations affected Powers’ employment as a maintenance man at the company. Colonial Williamsburg has declined to comment on the case.
In June, Colonial Williamsburg announced it would outsource maintenance operations. Landscape maintenance was taken over by Pennsylvania-based BrightView, and Saint Louis-based WFF was tapped to take over facilities management.
The judge appointed public defense attorney John Konstantinou to represent Powers.
Powers is scheduled to appear in the Williamsburg-James City County General District Court Dec. 7 at 9:30 a.m.
WYDaily archives were used in this article.
Fearing may be reached at Sarah.f@localvoicemedia.com. Send news tips to wyd@wydaily.com.
