The FBI seized more than 150 homemade explosives from a Virginia man’s home, ABC News reported on Wednesday.
Federal investigators made this discovery in December while searching the home of Norfolk, Virginia, resident Brad Spafford.
According to court documents, it is believed to be “the largest seizure by number of finished explosive devices in FBI history,” ABC News reported.
The court documents added that most of the bombs, material for building explosives, and tools were found in a garage next to Spafford’s home.
“Several additional apparent pipe bombs were found in a backpack in the home’s bedroom, completely unsecured," said prosecutors.
'Never planned anything violent'
Spafford’s defense attorneys argued in a motion Tuesday that he never planned anything violent.
"There is not a shred of evidence in the record that Mr. Spafford ever threatened anyone, and the contention that someone might be in danger because of their political views and comments is nonsensical," his lawyers said.
The prosecution responded, “While he is not known to have engaged in any apparent violence, he has certainly expressed interest in the same, through his manufacture of pipe bombs marked ‘lethal,’ his possession of riot gear and a vest loaded with pipe bombs, his support for political assassinations and use of the pictures of the President for target practice,” ABC News reported.
According to the court documents, “this investigation began in early 2023 when the defendant’s neighbor and friend reported that the defendant disfigured his hand in 2021 while working with a homemade explosive device and was stockpiling weapons and homemade ammunition.”