A 20-year-old Mason, Ohio, man, JAMES RIVER PHILLIPS, was arrested Thursday by the FBI Cincinnati Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force for allegedly possessing bomb-making materials and an unregistered destructive device. The arrest followed a federal court-ordered search in Mason, spurred by the discovery of an improvised explosive device (IED) at a Lebanon soccer complex earlier this year.
ELENA IATAROLA, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office, confirmed the arrest, emphasizing the collaborative efforts of law enforcement to neutralize the threat before it posed any risk to public safety.
### The Incident
On September 22, 2024, at approximately 12:30 a.m., a Lebanon police officer discovered an IED at a local soccer complex. Prior to the discovery, the officer observed two men in their early 20s leaving the parking lot in a silver SUV. The driver was described as having long, curly hair. After instructing the men to leave the premises, the officer later found the IED where the SUV had been parked.
The device, which featured wires connecting a pile of white powder to a control switch with a red light, was secured by the Butler County Bomb Squad. Testing revealed the residue contained nickel hydrazine nitrate and erythritol tetranitrate. During the testing process, the handheld chemical identification device was damaged when the IED detonated.
### Investigation and Evidence
Using cellular data, the FBI traced PHILLIPS‘ phone to the soccer complex parking lot between 12:15 a.m. and 12:21 a.m. on the night of the incident. Shortly after encountering the police, the phone allegedly sent two text messages at 12:36 a.m. and 12:40 a.m.
Further investigation led to the execution of a search warrant on PHILLIPS‘ Apple iCloud account, uncovering videos and photos of explosive testing. A video from April 5, 2024, showed two unidentified men detonating an explosive device in the same soccer complex parking lot. GPS data confirmed the location. Another video from July 21, 2024, depicted PHILLIPS holding a detonation device as a car was destroyed in a large explosion.
Additionally, authorities discovered recipes and notes on constructing explosive devices on the iCloud account. Photos also allegedly showed PHILLIPS assembling explosives in a wooded shed.
### Charges and Next Steps
PHILLIPS faces charges of possessing an unregistered destructive device and an unregistered firearm. He is expected to appear in court Friday for a bond hearing and will remain in custody until then.
The investigation revealed that PHILLIPS had purchased precursor chemicals and materials for homemade explosives, which were shipped to his residences in Mason and Oxford.
For more details, visit [FBI Cincinnati Field Office](https://www.fbi.gov/field-offices/cincinnati) and [Butler County Bomb Squad](https://www.butlercountysheriff.org/).