Man arrested, charged after officials find 50 pounds of explosives in his Mayfair home

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Authorities have arrested and charged a man they say had 50 pounds of explosives inside a home that caught fire Oct. 4 in the city’s Mayfair neighborhood.

Officials say the fire happened around 7 p.m. on Montague Street, near Cottman and Frankford avenues, at Evgenii Sadrislamov’s house.

According to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, first responders saw smoke coming from the garage and interior of the house when they arrived. Sadrislamov and his mother, who were inside, were brought outside and nearby residents were told to evacuate as a precaution. A house search was then conducted and that’s when authorities found explosive material — mostly in the garage and basement.

Deputy Police Commissioner James Kelley says chemicals used to manufacture homemade explosives, formulas, and extensive literature for the manufacturing of homemade explosives were recovered.

“Probably would have affected both sides of the block,” he said. “We actually really escaped a major tragedy on this one.”

Officials don’t know what, if anything, Sadrislamov was going to use the material for.

Sadrislamov faces charges of weapons of mass destruction, causing catastrophe, and related offenses.

He also has a conviction from a 2020 incident for something similar, in which he struck a plea deal with prosecutors for a criminal mischief charge and was sentenced to four years probation.

He is now being held in jail on 10% of just under $1 million bail.