Largest cache of 'finished explosive devices' found on farm

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A Virginia man was arrested after federal authorities found a cache of homemade explosive devices, some of which were marked as "lethal," at his home, marking the largest seizure of finished explosive devices in FBI history, officials said.

Authorities took Brad Spafford into custody Dec. 17 at a farm in Smithfield, about 29 miles northwest of Norfolk, and charged him with unlawful possession of an unregistered short-barrel rifle, according to court filings.

FBI agents found the rifle along with "a stockpile of more than 150 homemade improvised explosive devices, assessed as pipe bombs," during a search of his home, a detention memo says.

"Some of these devices were marked 'lethal.' Most of the devices were found in a detached garage, where the FBI also found tools and manufacturing materials, including homemade fuses and pieces of PVC pipe," it says. "Several additional apparent pipe bombs were found in a backpack in the home’s bedroom, completely unsecured."

The phrase "#nolivesmatter" was written outside the backpack, prosecutors said. No Lives Matter follows an extremist ideology and promotes mass killings, criminal activity and targeted attacks and has historically encouraged followers to engage in self-harm or animal abuse, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness said.

The memo also states that Spafford lived at the home with two young children.

Spafford allegedly told authorities that he kept in his freezer a jar of an explosive material that is so unstable it can explode as a result of friction of temperature changes, the filing states.

Photos in the court filing showed a jar labeled "Dangerous" and "Do Not Touch" next to what appeared to be Hot Pockets and other food items in the freezer.

Prosecutors said Spafford used images of the president for target practice, "expressed support for political assassinations, and recently sought qualifications in sniper-rifle shooting at a local range."

The investigation into Spafford began last year when a source told authorities that Spafford had disfigured his hand while working with a homemade explosive device, officials said.

The source also said that Spafford was stockpiling weapons and homemade ammunition, court documents state.

Spafford allegedly told the source that he makes about 50 rounds of ammunition a day.

To grow its network and provide updates to its extremist messaging, NLM primarily operates online via Telegram, an encrypted messaging platform with limited content moderation, where violent rhetoric and extremist content can reach target audiences.

In July 2024, a user in a NLM Telegram channel posted a list of updated group entry requirements, which included attacking the “mundane,” committing arson, and vandalism. Another user stated, “we are looking for more soldiers to join our ranks, true misanthropic individuals,” and “we only accept people that do irl [in real life] action.” In April 2024, NLM posted clarifications on acceptable submissions for membership which specified that self-harm acts like “simple cutsigns” would no longer suffice for admission into NLM, stating “we need deep bloody cuts that represent us.” Users in the channel shared photos of graffiti and a vandalized vehicle, highlighting acts that led to the acceptance of past members.

In July 2024, NLM shared a post on its Telegram channel to announce a partnership with Mordwaffen Division (MWD)—a European neo-Nazi group—stating “NLM x MWD deadly alliance” and “Support your local nazi terrorists.” In 2023, NLM partnered with a Russia-based WRME group, Maniac Murder Cult (abbreviation MKU based on Russian translation) to co-author the NLM Kill Guide<which provided attack tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). Several pages in the guide reference MKU, calling the group its “brothers in arms” and stating “NLM x MKU we can strike anywhere, at any time.”

In June 2024, NLM released two extremist publications called the Terror Guide and the Manhunt Guide, both of which provide TTPs for members to “sharpen” their skills.” The Terror Guide includes instructions for making poison and constructing various improvised explosive devices. The guide also provides operational security (OPSEC) practices, weapons preferences, fighting techniques, and instructions for “manhunting” victims. The Manhunt Guide provides additional tactical guidance and OPSEC techniques while providing “manhunt requirements” such as recording “brutal” beatings.

No Lives Matter Ideology
No Lives Matter (NLM) follows an accelerationist extremist ideology and promotes targeted attacks, mass killings, and criminal activity, and has historically encouraged members to engage in self-harm and animal abuse. NLM states that “societal standards should not exist. They are to be crushed by any means possible. If they comply to the societal standards[,] they are mundane,” and encourages the “spread of terror to all who are mundane.” In April 2024, NLM publicly rejected further association with the online violent torture and sextortion network, 764. NLM stated that it “was originally formed as an ideology…for 764 to follow,” but the “alliance” with 764 was discontinued due to the network’s ties to Satanism and pedophilia. Since disassociating with 764, NLM provided clarifications on its ideology, highlighting that it is returning to its “misanthropic” ways and that it is “back to the mundane killing ideology.”