FBI Discovers Largest Cache of Explosives on Virginia Farm

The FBI says it found greater than 150 bombs throughout a raid on a farm in Virginia – believed to be the biggest such cache seized by regulation enforcement in its historical past.

Brad Spafford was arrested on December 17 in Isle of Wight County, 180 miles south of Washington, DC, after being knowledgeable that he was storing selfmade weapons and ammunition on the property he shares together with his spouse. spouse and two younger youngsters.

Investigators say a few of the units had been present in a bed room, in an unsecured backpack labeled “#nolivesmatter” – an obvious reference to a far-right, anti-government motion.

Mr Stafford’s lawyer has denied he poses a hazard to the group and is looking for launch from pre-trial detention.

The suspect has up to now solely been charged with possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun, though investigators imagine different expenses are seemingly.

Investigators stated Tuesday that the bombs had been “preliminarily assessed as the biggest seizure by way of variety of completed explosive units in FBI historical past.”

Mr Stafford allegedly used images of US President Joe Biden for goal observe and expressed hope that Vice President Kamala Harris can be assassinated.

He had lately utilized to qualify for sniper rifle capturing at an area capturing vary, based on courtroom paperwork.

The charging doc says an nameless neighbor reported that Mr. Stafford continued to make bombs even after shedding three fingers on his proper hand in 2021 “whereas working with an improvised explosive system.”

The neighbor, who labored in regulation enforcement, wore a recording system throughout a go to to Mr. Stafford’s 20-acre farm earlier this yr, based on investigators.

Proof collected by the neighbor led FBI brokers to look the property, the place they discovered explosives scattered all through a house, based on the charging doc.

An preliminary FBI evaluation discovered the units to be “pipe bombs.” The bulk had been in a indifferent storage and had been sorted by shade. Some have been described as “lethal.”

A number of bombs had been discovered loaded in a wearable vest, based on courtroom paperwork.

Different bombs “had been discovered fully unsecured in a backpack” in the home. The outside of the backpack was marked “#nolivesmatter,” based on courtroom paperwork.

Nolivesmatter is a motion that promotes extremist ideology, focused assaults, mass killings and prison exercise, and has inspired its members to self-harm and abuse animals, based on the Workplace of Homeland Safety and Preparedness New Jersey.

Along with the pipe bombs, investigators say they discovered a jar of a extremely unstable explosive referred to as HMTD, which the FBI says is so unstable that it may be detonated just by a change in temperature and doesn’t require a detonator to detonate. .

The jar of HMTD was labeled “Hazardous” and “Do Not Contact” and was saved in a freezer subsequent to meals accessible to youngsters, based on courtroom paperwork.

The neighbor additionally informed investigators that Mr. Stafford had thought-about fortifying the property with a 50-caliber gun turret on the roof.

Mr. Stafford, who labored in a machine store, had additionally stated that the lacking youngsters making the information had been taken by the federal authorities to be skilled as college shooters, based on courtroom paperwork.

A lawyer for Mr. Stafford stated Tuesday that the federal government’s assertion that he was harmful was “gross and alarmist hypothesis” as a result of the suspect had no prison report.

“There’s not a shred of proof within the report that Mr. Spafford ever threatened anybody and the assertion that anybody may very well be at risk due to his political beliefs and feedback is absurd,” he stated. he added. the lawyer wrote.

The federal decide within the case ordered Mr. Spafford launched underneath digital monitoring.

Nevertheless, this resolution is suspended as the federal government seeks to maintain the suspect in pre-trial detention.