Joe.My.God. LGBT News
The New York Times reports:
A Virginia man was arrested this month with what federal prosecutors described in court papers on Monday as the largest cache of “finished explosive devices” ever found in the F.B.I.’s history.
The man, Brad Spafford, was taken into custody at a farm outside Norfolk on Dec. 17 on the basis of a single-count criminal complaint accusing him of illegally possessing an unregistered short-barrel rifle. When investigators searched his 20-acre property, in Isle of Wight County, they found in a detached garage more than 150 explosive devices — mostly pipe bombs, some of them labeled “lethal,” prosecutors said.
They found more pipe bombs in a bedroom inside Mr. Spafford’s house, loosely stuffed in a backpack that bore a patch shaped like a hand grenade and a logo reading “#NoLivesMatter,” prosecutors said. No Lives Matter is a nihilistic, far-right ideology that largely exists on encrypted online messaging apps like Telegram.
Read the full article.
BIG THREAD: Today, I attended the preliminary/detention hearing for Brad Spafford, charged with possessing a short barrel rifle.
Federal prosecutors say more charges are coming and that his arrest yielded the “largest seizure of finished explosive devices in FBI history.” pic.twitter.com/7UuW3DWfox
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) December 31, 2024
2) I first reported the case December 19 following Spafford’s arrest by the feds, who used a Confidential Human Source (CHS) for two years to get the warrant to arrest Spafford for the alleged Short Barrel Rifle.https://t.co/Lx1AlI1hYW
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) December 31, 2024
5) The government introduced these memes enjoyed by the defendant as exhibit 1 to demonstrate Spafford’s alleged “support for violence.”
Cardwell also testified that when Spafford went to a shooting range with his cop friend who was a CHS, he used photos of Biden as targets. pic.twitter.com/rEzX0YLYXT
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) December 31, 2024
6) As noted in this filing docketed after the hearing, Agent Cardwell also testified that Spafford told the CHS following the Trump assassination attempt “that he hoped the shooter doesn’t miss ‘Kamala.'” pic.twitter.com/nH0uEZUh5j
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) December 31, 2024
9) When the FBI raided Brad Spafford’s home, Detective Cardwell testified they found primary explosive HMTD in the freezer “next to Hot Pockets and corn on the cob.”
She said Spafford was “cooperative” and admitted to both the SBR and HMTD. pic.twitter.com/l6MSkpqWYS
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) December 31, 2024
11) Detective Caldwell testified that the feds discovered 150 “destructive devices” which technicians assessed to be “pipe bombs” mostly color-coated and/or labeled by completion and lethality. pic.twitter.com/qT6Aa0T5QU
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) December 31, 2024
13) The feds say they found six devices, connected in pairs, in a backpack with a patch labelled “#NoLivesMatter.” pic.twitter.com/BzpU9xWiBP
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) December 31, 2024
21) The judge ultimately ordered the release of Brad Spafford, noting that he’d been under investigation for two years. Conditions included:
-$25,000 unsecured bond
-Home detention/electronic monitoring
-Resume employment
-No contact with any witness including the CHS.— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) December 31, 2024
22) The prosecution said they would appeal Spafford’s pre-trial release, and as of this thread, that has already occurred.
Brad Spafford remains detained for now, pending the outcome of the government’s appeal. pic.twitter.com/VGvbtDB9kM
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) December 31, 2024