A court filing reveals federal agents uncovered a massive cache of homemade explosives during the arrest of a Virginia man on firearms charges last month, marking one of the largest seizures in FBI history.
Prosecutors stated in a Monday filing that over 150 pipe bombs and other improvised explosive devices were found during a December search of Brad Spafford’s home northwest of Norfolk. They described this as the “largest seizure by number of finished explosive devices in FBI history.”
Court documents detail the discovery of most of the bombs in a detached garage, alongside bomb-making tools and materials including fuses and pipe sections. Additionally, “Several additional apparent pipe bombs were found in a backpack in the home’s bedroom, completely unsecured,” in the residence he shares with his family.
Spafford, 36, faces charges for possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle, violating the National Firearms Act. Prosecutors anticipate “numerous additional potential charges” related to the explosives.
His defense team, in a Tuesday filing, countered that authorities lack evidence of planned violence, citing his clean criminal record. They also questioned the devices’ functionality, stating that “professionally trained explosive technicians had to rig the devices to explode them.”
The defense lawyers asserted, “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,”
Messages seeking comment were left Wednesday for defense lawyers Lawrence Woodward and Jerry Swartz.
An informant’s tip in 2023 about Spafford stockpiling weapons and ammunition initiated the investigation. The informant, a friend, reported Spafford had injured his hand in 2021 while handling explosives and that he only has two fingers on his right hand. Prosecutors added that Spafford used pictures of President Biden for target practice and that “he believed political assassinations should be brought back,”
On December 17, numerous law enforcement officials and bomb technicians searched the property, locating the rifle and explosives. Some devices were marked “lethal,” others were loaded into a vest. Due to safety concerns, most were detonated on-site; however, some were retained for analysis.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Magistrate Judge Lawrence Leonard approved house arrest at his mother’s home, but maintained detention pending further government arguments.
Prosecutors reinforced their concerns about Spafford’s danger, stating that “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.”