ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A Virginia man has pleaded guilty to federal charges after authorities discovered more than 150 pipe bombs in his possession and evidence he used an image of President Joe Biden for target practice, according to court records.
Brad Spafford, 36, entered a guilty plea Friday in U.S. District Court to one count of possessing a firearm in violation of the National Firearms Act and possession of an unregistered destructive device.
Federal prosecutors said the investigation began in January 2023 when a neighbor — identified as a law enforcement officer — reported Spafford’s behavior to the FBI and began cooperating with investigators as a confidential human source.
According to court documents, Spafford had expressed support for “bringing back political assassinations” and was found to have used a photo of Biden as target practice. Agents also learned that he had previously lost three fingers while building explosive devices at home.
More than 150 completed pipe bombs were later seized by authorities.
Spafford now faces a potential prison sentence. A sentencing date has not yet been set.