Couple pleads guilty to detonating bombs "for fun" across Pennsylvania town
BUCKS COUNTY — Some couples bond over watching TV, traveling or painting together.
One pair in Pennsylvania did it by running around town blowing things up in the middle of the night.
In court Monday, they admitted that was pretty dumb.
David Surman Jr. says he "didn't even mean to scare people" when he set off a series of explosives in and around Milford Township in the wee hours of the night in 2018.
The 33-year-old apologized after accepting a plea deal that means he'll spend roughly 1-2 years in county prison and be on probation for 10.
He owned up to having a weapon of mass destruction.
And the deal also included charges in a separate case related to child pornography discovered on his devices.
Surman Jr.'s girlfriend Tina Smith was right beside him in court.
She pleaded guilty to one count of possession of explosive incendiary devices with intent to use.
Smith was sentenced to 4 and a half years’ probation.
"My client's a good person, she took ownership for doing some very stupid things,” said Smith’s attorney Robert Goldman.
Smith's attorney called it foolish and stupid but says the couple did it for fun.
Prosecutors say they put the community at risk.
"I don't see how anyone could have thought it was fun, but clearly were just so grateful no one got injured in all this,” said Attorney Antonetta Stancu.
Smith and Surman Jr. have dated for more than a decade.
Smith's attorney says the couple would have either backed out of the deal or pulled a courtroom surprise if they couldn't live together while on probation.
"It might not have been a deal breaker, because we almost arranged a marriage between them in the courtroom in case the judge denied to unmarried people to co-habitate,” said Goldman.
"They'll be under a tight watch,” said Stancu.
Authorities spent months in 2018 trying to figure out who was responsible for the blasts.
Surman apologized for the bombs and said he'll work to improve his life in the future.