A North Carolina man allegedly wrote and distributed instruction manuals for how to make bombs and booby-trap one’s home in order to kill law enforcement, authorities say.
Fox News reported that Christopher Arthur, 38, was arrested on January 22 on charges related to bomb making and attempted murder after what the outlet described as a “months-long FBI-led sting operation.”
“Law enforcement officers are being feloniously killed in the line of duty at an alarming rate — 2021 saw the most officers murdered since the 9/11 attacks,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Wells said in a statement Monday, according to Fox. “The behavior alleged in this indictment, training someone in methods of how to kill or injure law enforcement, is both serious and frightening.”
Arthur’s first court appearance also occurred on Monday.
Arthur’s downfall began on May 27, 2020, when New York authorities were involved in a deadly shootout with someone suspected of trying to organize a militia to attack the U.S. government. The police chased the suspect, who fled, and engaged in a shootout that killed the suspect. Law enforcement then discovered “three improvised explosive devices in the man’s car and more at his home, as well as a stockpile of firearms,” Fox reported. Police also found “tactical instructional manuals” from “Tackleberry Solutions,” which authorities accuse Arthur of writing and distributing. “The New York suspect’s phone also allegedly linked him to in-person training sessions with Arthur in North Carolina,” Fox reported.
An undercover FBI agent then reached out to Arthur requesting a PDF document from his company, Tackleberry Solutions. Arthur allegedly responded by saying he could provide more information offline.
“On May 5, 2021, Arthur, at Arthur’s residence in Mount Olive, explained how to properly place IEDs through one’s property, the importance of creating a fatal funnel, the setup and use of remote-activated firearms, and how to evade arrest after killing members of law enforcement – all after learning the recipient of the explanation intended to kill federal law enforcement who might come to his home,” the DOJ alleged, according to Fox. “At the conclusion, Arthur demonstrated how to make components of IEDs, to include tripwire switches and improvised initiators. Once he was finished demonstrating how to make the components, Arthur provided them to the recipient of his training.”
Tackleberry Solutions’ website, as of Monday, still says that it is “an educational company that teaches military tactics to the everyday citizen for Civil Defense purposes.” The website says that its goal is to “keep you alive and FREE by teaching you how to protect yourself against tyranny.”
The website also provides training and materials for a hefty fee. For $25,000, one can receive “In Person SERE Training.” It also sells a book about “Improvised Explosives” for $499.
“Written by Arthur, of Tackleberry Solutions, this book was designed to help you create and set up your own explosive devices to aid you in your wartime tactics,” the book description reads. “This book includes ways in which you can build your own explosives from common household items.”