Brade
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 a destructive device and an unregistered firearm. The arrest followed an investigation into an improvised explosive device (IED) discovered at a local soccer complex, which led to the uncovering of bomb-making materials.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force executed a federal court-ordered search in Mason, Ohio, early Thursday morning. ELENA IATAROLA, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office, stated, “The FBI and our partners worked together to ensure his actions were stopped before there was any risk to public safety.”
According to an affidavit, the investigation began on September 22, 2024, when a Lebanon, Ohio, police officer discovered an IED at a soccer complex around 12:30 a.m. The officer had earlier 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 the men left, the officer found the IED, which had wires connected to a control switch with a red light. The Butler County Bomb Squad (BCBS) was called to seize the device, which was later found to contain nickel hydrazine nitrate and erythritol tetranitrate.
During testing, the IED detonated, damaging a handheld chemical identification device. Investigators used cellular data to track Phillips’ phone to the parking lot between 12:15 a.m. and 12:21 a.m. The same phone allegedly sent two texts shortly after the encounter with police.
On December 2, 2024, Phillips reportedly obtained a driver’s license photo, which matched the description of the driver seen by the officer. A search of Phillips’ Apple iCloud account revealed a video from April 5, 2024, showing two unidentified men detonating an explosive device in a parking lot near portable restrooms and a soccer net. GPS data confirmed the location as the same soccer complex where the IED was later found.
Additional videos and photos from July 21, 2024, allegedly showed Phillips holding a detonation device as another man counted down before a large explosion destroyed a car. Investigators also found recipes and notes on constructing explosive devices in Phillips’ iCloud account, as well as photos of him allegedly building devices in a shed in the woods.
Phillips is expected to appear in court Friday for a bond hearing and will remain in custody until then.
**Sources:**
[FBI Cincinnati Field Office](https://www.fbi.gov/field-offices/cincinnati)
[Butler County Bomb Squad](https://www.butlercountysheriff.org/)
