A King County man who authorities say tried to light a homemade “tennis ball” explosive on Interstate 90 is headed to federal prison for a year and a half, capping an episode that turned a routine Friday commute into a bomb scare on Mercer Island.
Sokphana Soeung, 42, was sentenced Friday to 18 months behind bars for his role in the October 12, 2024 incident, which shut down westbound I-90 for hours while bomb squads and investigators swept the scene.
U.S. District Judge John H. Chun told Soeung he had “displayed an alarming disrespect for the law” and put the community at extreme risk, according to KIRO 7. Prosecutors had argued for a two-year sentence, pointing to what they described as a long criminal record driven by drug addiction.
How the Chase Unfolded
Bellevue officers say the chaos started quietly at Enatai Beach Park, where they found two men asleep in a running, stolen Mercedes. Police placed stop sticks around the car, but the driver woke up, rolled over the strips and pulled away, leading officers on a slow-speed pursuit onto westbound I-90…