New Jersey Man Charged Federal Crimes After Building Over 100 Homemade Bombs
Joseph Rizos of Denville, New Jersey, was arrested and faces federal charges for creating more than 100 improvised explosives in a home laboratory.
Federal prosecutors have indicted Joseph Rizos, a 37-year-old resident of Denville, New Jersey, for a multi-year operation that involved purchasing explosive precursors, fuels and bomb-making tools from internet vendors beginning in April 2020. Law enforcement agents from the Joint Terrorism Task Force, including the FBI, DEA and ATF, along with New Jersey State Police and local Morris County officials, raided his 1,920-square-foot home on June 24 after he was detained in his vehicle.
The search uncovered a sophisticated home laboratory, blasting caps, several firearms, ammunition and about 109 homemade bombs recovered from a shed, with additional materials found in his bedroom, basement and garage. Neighbors were temporarily evacuated during the operation. Rizos now faces three federal counts—unlawful receipt, unlawful storage and unlawful possession of plastic explosives without a detection agent—each carrying potential sentences exceeding 20 years and fines up to $600,000. He had previously been charged at the state level with reckless endangerment and possession of destructive devices.
Why it matters
The case highlights the danger of homemade explosives and the extensive coordination among federal and state agencies to prevent domestic terrorism.
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