FBI finds largest explosive cache on a Virginia farm

The FBI says it has found more than 150 explosives in 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 (290km) south of Washington DC, after being tipped off that he was storing tools and household items he shared with his wife and two young children.

Investigators say some of the weapons were found in a bedroom in an unsecured bag labeled “#nolivesmatter” – an apparent reference to a far-right, anti-government group.

Spafford’s lawyer has denied he is a danger to the community and wants his client released from prison before trial.

The suspect has so far been charged with possession of an unregistered handgun, although investigators say he is faking multiple crimes.

Investigators said on Tuesday that the bombs were “preliminarily determined to be the largest number of explosive devices in the history of the FBI”.

Mr Spafford allegedly used images of US President Joe Biden in his campaign and expressed his hope that Vice President Kamala Harris would be killed.

He had recently applied for a license to shoot sniper rifles in the area, according to court documents.

The charging document says an unnamed neighbor said Spafford continued to make bombs despite losing three fingers on his right hand in 2021 “working with a self-made weapon”.

A neighbour, who worked in law enforcement, wore a recording device during a visit to Mr Spafford’s 20-acre farm earlier this year, investigators say.

Evidence gathered by the neighbor led FBI agents to search the property, where they found explosives scattered throughout the home, according to the charging affidavit.

An initial investigation by the FBI found the devices to be “pipe bombs”. Most were in a detached garage, and were sorted by color. Some were labeled “deadly”.

Several bombs were found stuffed in a vest, court documents said.

More bombs were “found unprotected in a bag” in the house. “#nolivesmatter” was written on the outside of the bag, court documents said.

Nolivesmatter is a group that promotes extremism, terrorism, mass murder, and terrorism, and has encouraged members to self-harm and abuse animals, according to the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.

In addition to the pipe bombs, investigators said they found a container of a highly explosive bomb known as an HMTD, which the FBI says is so unstable that it can explode with changes in temperature and does not trigger a detonator.

The bottle of HMTD was labeled “Dangerous” and “Do Not Touch”, and was kept in the refrigerator near the children’s food, according to court documents.

A neighbor also told investigators that Mr. Spafford discussed reinforcing the house with a .50-caliber gun turret on the roof.

Mr. Spafford, who works at a machine shop, also claimed that missing children were recruited by the federal government to train school shooters, according to court documents.

Mr Spafford’s lawyer said on Tuesday that the government’s claims that he was dangerous were “speculation and scaremongering”, as the suspect had no record.

“There is not a shred of evidence in the record that Mr. Spafford has ever threatened anyone and to suggest that anyone would be in danger because of his political views and comments is baseless,” he said. the lawyer wrote.

The federal judge presiding over the case ordered Spafford to be released on electronic supervision.

However, this decision has not been implemented as the government wants the suspect to be detained before trial.