Virginia Man Brad Spafford Arrested with 150 Homemade Bombs, Links to Far-Right Extremism Uncovered
A Virginia man has been arrested with a huge cache of homemade explosives.
The man’s name is Brad Spafford, 36, and a search on his 20-acre property led to the recovery of 150 homemade bombs, explosive components and extremist items and literature.
The discovery of the huge cache of explosive materials has once again ignited fears of homegrown extremist ideologies.
Brad Spafford Arrested with 150 Homemade Bombs
Brad Spafford, 36, has been charged with possessing one of the biggest stockpiles of explosives ever recovered by the FBI.
According to court documents the FBI recovered 150 pipe bombs and an array of explosive components when they raided Spafford’s 20-acre estate on December 17.
The bomb disposal squad unearthed explosives which had been labelled ‘deadly’ in an isolated garage. The team also discovered explosive chemicals which were stored in freezers.
Police also unearthed the links of the suspect with far-right extremist groups advocating violence and discovered the pipe bombs which were adorned with a hand grenade emblem and a “#NoLivesMatter” insignia. The slogan is known to be associated with right-wing extremist groups.
Brad Spafford was initially detained for possessing an unregistered short-barrel rifle but the recovery of the explosives had led prosecutors to enact new charges and every new charge can carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
Court documents also revealed that Spafford had collected different components which could be used for manufacturing explosives. He also collected HMTD which is a very unstable chemical. The authorities have also recovered a notebook which contained details of military-grade explosives.
The genesis of the investigation could be traced to 2021 when Spafford lost three fingers of his hand in an explosion. The authorities were alerted by a neighbour who said that he was suspicious after Spafford remarked that he was preparing for something big and he would not be able to do it himself.
Spafford bail was fixed at $25.000 before prosecutors managed to get an emergency stay after Detective Rachelann Cardwell put before the court the extent of the recovery of the explosives and explosive components and its ramifications.
The discovery of the explosives has heightened fears about the spread of domestic extremism and illicit weapons. Recovery of weapons at sites associated with extreme right-wing ideology has also triggered concerns within the intelligence community.
