Public court records and announcements from the Department of Justice

FBI Seizes 150 Homemade Pipe Bombs in Largest Cache Ever at Virginia Farm, Arrests Brad Spafford

Dec 31, 2024, 10:45 PM

The FBI has uncovered what it describes as the largest cache of homemade explosives in its history at a Virginia farm, leading to the arrest of Brad Spafford. The seizure included over 150 finished explosive devices, assessed as pipe bombs, some marked as 'lethal.' The devices were found scattered around Spafford's 20-acre property, with the majority located in a detached garage and others in an unsecured backpack in a bedroom. Spafford was initially arrested on December 17 for possessing an unregistered short-barrel rifle. Further investigation revealed that he lived at the home with two young children and had stored a highly volatile explosive material, HMTD, in a freezer next to food items. Spafford allegedly used images of President Biden for target practice and expressed support for political assassinations, raising concerns about his potential danger to the community. The Justice Department is currently opposing his release from pre-trial detention.