Ohio man arrested after investigators discover IED, videos, photos of bomb-making materials

A Mason, Ohio, antheral was arrested for allegedly possessing a destructive instrumentality aft an probe into an improvised explosive instrumentality (IED) recovered astatine a shot analyzable led to the find of bomb-making materials.

James River Phillips, 20, was arrested Thursday by the FBI Cincinnati Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and charged with possession of an unregistered weapon and possession of a destructive device.

The apprehension comes aft the task unit conducted a national court-ordered hunt successful Mason that morning.

"The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested James River Phillips aft helium allegedly possessed a unsafe destructive device," FBI Cincinnati Special Agent successful Charge Elena Iatarola said. "The FBI and our partners worked unneurotic to guarantee his actions were stopped earlier determination was immoderate hazard to nationalist safety."

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An Ohio antheral is accused of possessing an unregistered destructive instrumentality aft an probe was conducted by the FBI and section police. The photos amusement an IED, a detonator and what is believed to beryllium explosive achromatic powder. (Federal Affidavit)

According to an affidavit filed against Phillips, a Lebanon, Ohio, constabulary serviceman discovered an IED astatine a shot analyzable astatine astir 12:30 a.m. Sept. 22, 2024.

Just earlier the discovery, the serviceman saw 2 men successful their aboriginal 20s leaving the parking batch of the analyzable successful a metallic SUV, which was primitively parked successful the lot. The operator was described by constabulary arsenic having agelong curly hair.

The serviceman made a postulation halt and told the 2 men to permission the parking batch since the analyzable was closed, the affidavit noted.

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Once the 2 men left, the serviceman continued to thrust successful the parking batch and located an IED wherever the SUV had been parked, tribunal documents allege.

"The IED had wires moving from a heap of achromatic pulverization to a power switch," the affidavit states. "The power control had a reddish airy connected erstwhile the LPD Officer discovered the IED. After encountering the device, the LPD Officer attempted to find the 2 males but could not. The serviceman contacted Butler County Bomb Squad (BCBS) to prehend the IED."

BCBS discovered that the residue connected the instrumentality contained nickel hydrazine nitrate, portion the achromatic pulverization contained erythritol tetranitrate.

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Photos recovered from iCloud look to amusement Phillips was making explosive devices successful the shed. There were 3 photos recovered successful Phillips’ iCloud relationship taken Feb. 26, 2024, that look to amusement an explosive instrumentality that was built successful the shed. (Federal Affidavit)

As they tested the IED detonator, it exploded, breaking the handheld chemic recognition device.

With the FBI’s help, investigators utilized cellular information to way Phillips’ telephone to the parking batch betwixt 12:15 a.m. and 12:21 a.m. The aforesaid telephone allegedly sent 2 texts soon aft the SUV encountered police, 1 astatine 12:36 a.m. and the different astatine 12:40 a.m.

On Dec. 2, 2024, Phillips reportedly got a driver’s licence photo, which the affidavit said shows him with the aforesaid curly hairsbreadth the serviceman saw erstwhile helium encountered the driver.

Investigators executed a hunt warrant connected the Apple iCloud relationship associated with the phone, which resulted successful a video from April 5, 2024, showing 2 unidentified men successful a parking batch nether streetlights, adjacent portable restrooms and a shot net.

One of the men could beryllium heard counting down to one, earlier an explosive instrumentality detonated. In different video appearing to beryllium from the aforesaid incident, an unidentified antheral says, "James, we gotta go," and "James, travel on."

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Interior photos of the shed recovered from iCloud look to amusement the shed contains moving electricity, racks for solid beakers, heated magnetic mixers and chartless chemicals and powders. (Federal Affidavit)

The video past shows a spread successful the ground, which investigators accidental was the effect of the erstwhile explosion. The 2 men are past seen picking up the debris and leftover components. GPS information from the metadata of the video shows the video was changeable successful the parking batch of the aforesaid shot analyzable successful Lebanon, wherever the constabulary serviceman encountered the IED months later, the affidavit notes.

Additional photos and videos of explosions were reportedly recovered connected the iCloud relationship from July 21, 2024, including the demolition of a car.

In 1 of the videos, investigators wrote, Phillips is seen holding a detonation instrumentality arsenic different antheral counts down from 5 to one.

"After Phillips presses the detonation device, a ample detonation is heard successful the distance, and an unidentified antheral tin beryllium heard saying, ‘It blew the car supra the histrion line,’" the affidavit said. "Additional photos and videos taken connected July 21, 2024, amusement an detonation followed by photos of the demolition of a car that appeared to beryllium destroyed from the explosion."

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The probe aboriginal revealed to detectives that Phillips bought "precursor chemicals and materials for homemade explosives," which were shipped to his location successful Mason and different residence of his successful Oxford.

His iCloud relationship besides allegedly had recipes and notes connected however to conception explosive devices, the affidavit claims.

Photos besides allegedly amusement Phillips constructing explosive devices successful a shed successful the woods.

Phillips is expected to look successful tribunal Friday for a enslaved proceeding and volition stay successful custody until then.