An Oakland man was charged with mailing an explosive device to an East Palo Alto man with intent to injure or kill, authorities said Thursday.

Ross Laverty, 56, was in federal custody after a Thursday morning court appearance in San Francisco. He was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero, who scheduled a detention hearing for Dec. 28.

According to KGO-TV, SWAT teams and other authorities swarmed Laverty’s Oakland home late Wednesday and arrested him.

As part of an investigation involving the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI, at least one count was filed in connection with an East Palo Alto incident where a resident received a package containing an explosive device.

After initially deciding not to open it, the resident did so on October 19, and its detonation injured him.

If convicted on that count, Laverty faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

In a similar incident, a woman was injured after a Nov. 24 package delivery to a neighbor on Alameda’s Bay Farm Island.

Charging documents and photographic evidence seen by KGO say the devices and packaging sent to both addresses were similar, with a jewelry store as the return address. The KGO report added that DNA evidence found on the devices linked them to Laverty after it matched a sample provided by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s crime lab from of his convictions for previous offenses.

Abraham Simmons of the U.S. Attorney’s Office would not comment on any possible connection between the cases.

Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.