Virginia man accused of amassing largest homemade explosives cache ever found by FBI [View all]

A federal judge has granted bond to a Virginia man accused of holding extremist views and amassing what prosecutors say is the largest ever cache of homemade explosives found by the FBI. The judge stayed the order pending government appeal.

Agents found the weapons, including more than 150 pipe bombs and explosive devices, during a 17 December raid on a 20-acre property in Isle of Wight county, according to court documents.

Authorities initially arrested the 36-year-old owner, Brad Spafford, on a single charge of possessing an unregistered short-barrel rifle. But as bomb squads swept the property, they found explosive devices marked “lethal” in a detached garage, according to court documents.

Inside the house, investigators discovered more pipe bombs packed into a backpack bearing a hand grenade patch and a logo for “#NoLivesMatter”, a slogan linked to a far-right extremist movement that promotes violent acts on encrypted online channels, according to a recent New Jersey homeland security assessment.

Many of the details in the case emerged during a 30 December bond hearing for Spafford, whose bail was initially set at $25,000 before an emergency stay pushed by prosecutors was secured.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/31/virginia-man-homemade-explosives-bail