Mesa man arrested for allegedly possessing explosive devices

PHOENIX — A Mesa man was arrested and charged with misconduct involving weapons on Wednesday after police found numerous explosive devices and materials in his car and home.

According to an Arizona Department of Public Safety statement, a task force learned that Jeffrey Metcalf, 51, was in possession of prohibited weapons, including pipe bombs, on Tuesday.

The task force conducted a traffic stop on Metcalf the next day and found bomb materials in his vehicle. Metcalf told police he had bombs in his home and that he planned to dispose them in a body of water, according to the statement.

The task force served a search warrant at Metcalf’s Mesa home and found 42 pipe bombs and enough materials to make 30 more. Police also found that Metcalf had enhanced the bombs with shrapnel to make them more lethal.

Mesa Man in Possession of Numerous Explosive Devices Arrested by Authorities. Read more at https://t.co/WVmtbPFIqd Great teamwork by @ATFHQ @phoenixpolice @MesaPD

— Dept. Public Safety (@Arizona_DPS) August 30, 2018

Police evacuated surrounding homes and removed the bombs, placing them in a secure containment vessel before transporting them to a disposal area.

“This situation could’ve had tragic consequences had it not been for the excellent work of DPS detectives, our counterparts at Phoenix and Mesa Police along with ATF,” Col. Frank Milstead, director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, said in a statement.

“The investigation was yet another shining example of the unparalleled cooperation we enjoy in Arizona between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.”

Court documents released Friday showed that Metcalf kept the cache of more than 40 pipe bombs in his Arizona home to please his wife, who believed they would be needed if the U.S. government collapsed.

In an interview with officers, Metcalf said he and his wife are separated and he built the pipe bombs over the past four years at her request. He described her as an “ultra prepper,” who wanted to be ready if the federal government descended into chaos, authorities said.

Metcalf said he had kept the bombs at his home in Payson for three years before transporting them to his Mesa home.

Records show Metcalf was investigated in 2008 while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps for making in imitation IED, authorities said.

Metcalf was facing 40 counts of manufacturing, selling and possessing prohibited weapons. He was released Thursday on $50,000 bond.

A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 10. A defense attorney has not yet been appointed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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