Cesar Sayoc: Pipe bomb suspect could face life in prison after new charges filed

Recipients of bombs were all critics of Donald Trump

Cesar Sayoc Jr could face life in prison if convicted of sending several package explosives to prominent Democrats and CNN (AP)

The man accused of sending several packages containing explosives to prominent Democrats and media organisations could face life in prison after New York federal prosecutors brought new charges against him.,

Cesar Sayoc Jr, who allegedly targeted critics of President Donald Trump, had previously faced five counts and up to 48 years in prison but with the new indictment in Manhattan federal court charges Mr Sayoc with 30 additional criminal counts, including using a weapon of mass destruction and the interstate transport of explosives.

If convicted of all those counts, the 56-year-old former pizza delivery man and stripper could spend his life in a federal prison.

His appointed lawyer Sarah Baumgartel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Five of the packages Mr Sayoc is accused of sending ended up in and around New York City.

The news of his arrest at a Plantation, Florida, auto parts store came after a string of packages containing explosives and one with “white powder” were found or intercepted, addressed to Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama, former CIA director John Brennan and former director of national intelligence James Clapper both via packages addressed to CNN Headquarters in New York.

Others were sent to House Democrat Maxine Waters, former US attorney general Eric Holder, former vice president Joe Biden, Democratic Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, billionaire Democrat donors George Soros and Tom Steyer, and actor Robert DeNiro.

Mr Biden and Ms Waters both received two separate packages.

Among Mr Sayoc's possessions which police seized as evidence was a list of hundreds of more targets.

All appeared to have the return address of House Democrat and once-chair of the Democratic National Committee Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Mr Sayoc appears to have a social media presence full of tweets and posts in support of the president and Republicans.

His Facebook suggested that he s originally from Brooklyn, New York, but grew up in Florida and attended high school in Miami Beach.

A registered Republican, he lived in Aventura, Florida, at the time of his arrest but it is thought that was kicked out of his parents’ home and he began living in his van.

The white van seen near where he was arrested was covered in stickers in support of Mr Trump and vice president Mike Pence.

The political paraphernalia also included a sticker that read “CNN sucks”.