LOVELAND, Colo. — A Loveland man arrested last week on suspicion of possessing pipe bombs told the FBI that he didn't have a solid understanding of the materials and techniques he was using to make the explosive devices, according to the criminal complaint in the case.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a release that FBI special agents, along with other law enforcement officers and agents, executed two search warrants Friday at the home of Bradley Bunn, 53.
FBI agents found four pipe bombs in Bunn's home, according to the release. They also found two 1-pound containers of gunpowder in Bunn's vehicle that could be used to make pipe bombs, according to the criminal complaint.
Bomb technicians took the devices to a range where they were rendered safe. Tests conducted on each device found that they contained explosive material, according to the criminal complaint.
When FBI special agents asked Bunn what specific materials he had used in the bombs and the techniques he used, Bunn said he didn't know, according to the complaint. He added that he wasn't a "sapper," which is slang for a military combat engineer whose training involves the use of explosives, the complaint says.
"I don't have a lot of experience in this," Bunn said, according to the complaint. "... I don't exactly know what went into the device that I built. That's the best I can tell you."
When pressed for more information on the devices, Bunn said he had been throwing the bombs out in a field as a test to make sure they were stable, the complaint says. He said he'd ordered the fuses online and that he hadn't included "fragmentation materials" like buck shot because he didn't know how such materials might interact with the gunpowder, according to the complaint.
Bunn told FBI agents that he planned to use the bombs against people who might attempt to break into his house, according to the complaint. He said that a bomb would be effective because a group of people entering his home would "clump" together and not spread out.
"You were going to use them on a bunch of clumped-up guys out front?" an FBI special agent asked Bunn, according to the complaint.
Bunn answered yes.
The DOJ said Bunn has been charged with the possession of destructive devices. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), with support from local law enforcement, according to the release.
The release said Bunn was to make his first appearance in federal court via video conference Monday.
He was being held at the Larimer County jail.
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