When federal agents arrested a Virginia man on firearms charges last month, they discovered the largest stockpile of homemade explosives ever seized, according to a court filing by federal prosecutors. .
Prosecutors said in a motion filed Monday that investigators seized more than 150 pipe bombs and other homemade devices when they searched Brad Spafford's northwest Norfolk home in December. said.
Prosecutors wrote that this is believed to be “the largest seizure in FBI history in terms of number of completed explosive devices.”
The discovery comes as the United States faces heightened tensions over political violence. During last year's presidential campaign, there were two assassination attempts before Donald Trump ultimately won the White House race against Kamala Harris.
Most of the bombs were found in the detached garage of Ayle's home, along with tools and bomb-making materials, including fuses and pieces of plastic pipe, according to court documents.
Prosecutors also said that at his home, where he lived with his wife and two young children, he found “several additional suspected pipe bombs in a backpack in his bedroom, completely unsecured.'' was discovered,” he wrote.
Spafford, 36, was charged with possessing a firearm in contravention of the National Firearms Act. Law enforcement officials allege he was in possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle. Prosecutors said he faces “a number of additional charges” related to explosives.
Defense attorneys argued in Tuesday's motion that authorities have not presented evidence that he planned violence and also noted that he has no criminal history. They also question whether the explosive device could have been used because “a professionally trained explosives technician had to adjust the device to detonate it.”
“There is not a single shred of evidence in the record that Mr. Spafford ever threatened anyone, and any claim that anyone could be in danger because of his political views or comments is nonsense,” the attorneys wrote.
The investigation began in 2023 when an informant told authorities that Spafford was stockpiling weapons and ammunition, according to court documents.
A friend and informant told authorities that Spafford injured his hand in 2021 while working with homemade explosives. Prosecutors said he only had two fingers on his right hand. The informant told authorities that Spafford used a photo of the president, apparently referring to Joe Biden, in target training and that he believed “political assassinations should be reinstated.'' '', prosecutors wrote.
On December 17, numerous law enforcement officers and bomb disposal technicians searched the premises. Investigators found rifles and explosives, some manually labeled as “lethal” and some loaded into wearable vests, according to court documents. Some of the devices were kept for analysis, but it was deemed unsafe for transport, so technicians detonated most of them at the scene.
At a hearing Tuesday, federal judge Lawrence Leonard agreed to release Spafford to possible house arrest at his mother's home, but to keep him in custody while the government presents further arguments. I decided that.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
