Bombmaking Instructor Sentenced to 25 Years for Teaching How to Kill Law Enforcement

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RALEIGH, N.C. – Christopher Arthur, 40, was sentenced today to 300 months in prison for instructing another individual on how to make and use explosives, knowing the individual intended to use that knowledge to murder or attempt to murder federal law enforcement officers.

In July 2023, Arthur was convicted by a jury on this crime and eight additional counts, including possessing unregistered devices such as a short-barreled rifle, a silencer, three improvised hand grenades, and an improvised claymore mine.

“Violence directed towards police, judges, and public servants will never be tolerated in a free society,” stated U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Arthur’s property was wired with IEDs, identical to the designs he sold to others intending to kill American law enforcement. This 25-year sentence serves as a stark warning to anyone teaching bombmaking to target American heroes.”

Robert M. DeWitt, FBI Special Agent in Charge, expressed his dismay: “At a time when law enforcement officers are being feloniously killed at an alarming rate, it is appalling to know what Christopher Arthur did. He trained people to kill or injure those who proudly wear the badge. Now he will spend significant time in federal prison for his dangerous and deadly lessons.”

During the sentencing hearing, the court learned that Arthur and his company trained individuals to combat what he referred to as “the greatest threat” – a militarized force like law enforcement’s Special Warfare and Tactics (SWAT) Team.

Evidence included a three-part video series on how to overthrow the government, with one video displaying messages such as “Start with your LOCAL Government” and “Set the Standard -> Traitors get HUNG” over an image of a noose.

This evidence, coupled with Arthur's teaching of bombmaking to an individual intending to use it to murder federal law enforcement, led the court to apply a terrorism enhancement in sentencing. Consequently, Arthur received the maximum sentence on all nine counts of conviction.

The investigation into Arthur began after another individual died in a May 2022 shootout with police in New York. Search warrants executed in connection with that incident uncovered numerous Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and firearms, along with multiple “Tackleberry Solutions” tactical instructional manuals authored by Arthur. A review of the deceased individual’s cell phone revealed that Arthur had trained him in Mount Olive, North Carolina, over multiple days in March 2020.

On March 19, 2021, a confidential source (CS) working with the FBI requested training from Arthur. After receiving introductory training materials, the CS attended explosives training at Arthur’s Mount Olive home in May 2021. The CS informed Arthur that he needed the training because the ATF had visited his home and he anticipated their return.

Arthur introduced the CS to a concept he called “the spiderweb,” described as a “freaking death box.” During a two-and-a-half-hour session, Arthur instructed the CS on creating IEDs and placing them to create “fatal funnels” to maim or kill anyone entering the CS’s home. Arthur demonstrated how to create electric initiators for homemade grenades and bombs, and how to make a homemade trip wire. He provided the CS with the components and explained how to use an old shotgun to create a “thumper” for launching homemade grenades.

A search warrant executed at Arthur's home in January 2022 revealed an IED on the front porch connected to a 9-volt battery-powered switch inside the home. Officers also found three IED grenades with a striker plate for detonation, an illegally altered short barrel rifle with an attached unserialized suppressor, and a fifth IED.

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