FBI finds largest explosives stockpile at Virginia farm

The FBI says it has discovered more than 150 bombs during a raid on a farm in Virginia – believed to be the largest cache seized by the law-enforcement agency in its history.

Brad Spafford was arrested on December 17 in Isle of Wight County, 180 miles (290 km) south of Washington, D.C., following a tip that he was carrying weapons and household items at the property he shared with his wife and two young children. Was collecting ammunition.

Investigators say some of the devices were found in an unsecured backpack in a bedroom labeled “#nolivesmatter” — an apparent reference to a far-right, anti-government movement.

A lawyer for Mr Stafford denies he is a danger to the community and is asking for his client to be released from pre-trial detention.

The suspect has so far been charged only with possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, although investigators say more charges are likely.

The bombs were “preliminarily evaluated as the largest seizure by number of improvised explosive devices in FBI history,” investigators said Tuesday.

Mr Stafford allegedly used photographs of US President Joe Biden for target practice and hoped to assassinate Vice President Kamala Harris.

According to court papers, he recently sought qualification in sniper-rifle shooting at a local range.

The charging document said an unnamed neighbor reported that Mr. Stafford had continued making bombs in 2021 after losing three fingers on his right hand “while working with a homemade explosive device.”

Investigators say the neighbor, who worked in law enforcement, wore a recording device during a visit to Mr. Stafford’s 20-acre farm earlier this year.

According to charging documents, FBI agents, based on evidence collected by a neighbor, searched the property, where they found explosives scattered around a house.

The FBI’s initial assessment found that the devices were “pipe bombs”. Most were in a separate garage, and were sorted by color. Some were labeled “fatal”.

Court documents state that several bombs were found loaded into wearable vests.

More bombs were found “completely unsecured in a backpack” in the home. Court documents say the backpack was labeled “#nolivesmatter” on the exterior.

According to the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, NoLivesMatter is a movement that promotes extremist ideology, targeted attacks, mass killings and criminal activities and encourages members to engage in self-harm and animal abuse.

In addition to the pipe bombs, investigators say they found a jar of a highly volatile explosive called HMTD, which according to the FBI is so unstable that it can be detonated by temperature changes alone and does not require a detonator to detonate. .

According to court papers, the jars of HMTD were labeled “dangerous” and “do not touch” and were being stored in a freezer next to food that was accessible to children.

The neighbor also told investigators that Mr. Stafford had discussed fortifying the property with a 50-caliber shotgun turret on the roof.

According to court documents, Mr. Stafford, who worked at a machine shop, also said that the missing children in the news had been taken by the federal government to be trained as school shooters.

A lawyer for Mr. Stafford said Tuesday that the government’s claims that he was dangerous were “ranking speculation and fear-mongering” because the suspect had no criminal record.

“There is not the slightest evidence in the record that Mr. Spafford ever threatened anyone and the argument that anyone could be in danger because of his political views and comments is preposterous.” the lawyer wrote,

The federal judge overseeing the case ordered that Mr. Spafford be released with electronic monitoring.

However, this decision is currently on hold as the government wants to keep the suspect in pre-trial detention.