Prosecutors say 150 pipe bombs found at Virginia man’s home in what could be FBI’s largest-ever seizure of explosive devices

By Holmes Lybrand, CNN

(CNN) — Prosecutors are fighting to keep a Virginia man behind bars after they say investigators found what could be the largest number of “finished explosive devices” in FBI history at his 20-acre home near Norfolk.

The man, Brad Spafford, was arrested earlier this month on one charge of possessing an illegal unregistered short-barrel rifle. During the arrest, the FBI – including bomb technicians – executed a search warrant on his property and found a stockpile of more than 150 apparent pipe bombs, which were x-rayed on the scene, according to prosecutors. Some were allegedly marked “lethal.”

Prosecutors say the pipe bombs were found in a backpack, a detached garage, and that a few “were preloaded into an apparent wearable vest.”

In court filings arguing that Spafford should remain jailed, prosecutors allege that Spafford used pictures of President Joe Biden for target practice, “expressed support for political assassinations, and recently sought qualifications in sniper-rifle shooting at a local range.”

After the assassination attempt on President-elect Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, prosecutors wrote that Spafford “stated that he hoped the shooter doesn’t miss ‘Kamala’” in an apparent reference to the vice president in communications with his neighbor.

The investigation into Spafford started when his neighbor reported that he was allegedly stockpiling weapons and homemade ammo and had lost three fingers on his right hand in 2021 working with a homemade explosive device, prosecutors say.

In a filing Tuesday asking for the release of their client, Spafford’s attorneys noted he was only charged with a single count of possession of an unlawful firearm, that there is no evidence Spafford ever used the weapon and that he has no criminal record.

His attorneys also wrote that “professionally trained explosive technicians had to rig the devices to explode them” and that there was no evidence that he had the ability to explode the devices himself.

“The government argues that Mr. Spafford should be detained because he poses a danger to the community in spite of the fact that the government has been investigating and carefully watching Mr. Spafford for approximately two years through the use of a confidential human source who was a friend and confidant of Mr. Spafford,” his attorneys wrote. “During all of that time, there is no evidence or allegation that Mr. Spafford committed or attempted to commit any act of violence.”

His attorneys also said that using the likeness of a political leader at a shooting range is “common practice” and that his alleged “ill-advised comments about the government and political leaders” are constitutionally protected.

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