MASON, Ohio — After multiple law enforcement agencies investigated inside a home in Mason for several hours, one man was arrested by FBI agents, according to a press release from officials.
According to the FBI, 20-year-old James Phillips was arrested after he allegedly possessed an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). He is federally charged with possession of an unregistered firearm (destructive device), according to federal court documents.
"The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested James River Phillips after he allegedly possessed a dangerous destructive device," said FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. "The FBI and our partners worked together to ensure his actions were stopped before there was any risk to public safety."
Watch our breakdown of the months-long investigation and community reactions:
According to a release from the FBI, a Lebanon Police Department patrol officer discovered Phillips' alleged IED on September 22, 2024, at an outdoor sports complex. Court documents say the device was found at around 12:30 a.m. in a far parking lot of a large soccer complex in Lebanon.
We spoke with several parents at the Lebanon Sports Complex, where the alleged IED was found, and they all said they were unaware of the situation.
“It’s terrifying to think that people would do something like that where your babies play," said mother Halee Page.
When police found the device, they also encountered two men in a silver SUV, near where the device had been placed.
"The IED had wires running from a pile of white powder to a control switch," read the court documents.
The Butler County Bomb Squad tested residue and the powder before testing the IED's detonator; the IED detonator exploded while it was being tested, the court documents say.
That device was collected by the Butler County Bomb Squad and the components were tested, the FBI said.
The Joint Terrorism Task Force identified Phillips as the "primary suspect" who allegedly left the device at the sports complex; the FBI said the task force also connected Phillips to other incidents "where he is alleged to have possessed and detonated potential explosives."
Phillips' cell phone was determined to have been in the area of the soccer complex in Lebanon the same night the IED was discovered, according to the court documents. A search warrant of his Apple iCloud account revealed Phillips possessed multiple photos and videos implicating him, the court documents say.
"For example, on April 5, 2024, a video shows two unidentified males in a parking lot at night under streetlights with portable restrooms and a soccer net in the background," reads the document. "An unidentified male can be heard counting down to one and after one, an explosive device is detonated. In a separate video appearing to be from the same incident, the unidentified male recording can be heard saying 'James we gotta go' and 'James come on.'"
Videos also show a hole in the ground that was the result of the explosion, the documents say.
In other photos and videos found on the iCloud, the two men appear to blow up a car, court documents say. A video shows Phillips holding what appears to be a detonation device with a silver antenna; a voice can be heard counting down to one and afterward, a large explosion is heard in the distance. Photos on the iCloud showed a destroyed vehicle officials believe was blown up by a device, court documents say.
During the federal investigation, officials found Phillips purchased multiple chemicals and materials and shipped them to two locations where he stays — one in Mason, another in Oxford. Phillips' Amazon records also showed he purchased items and components that matched the description of items found from the IED detonated by the Butler County Bomb Squad, documents say.
In addition, documents say the iCloud account also contained photos from a shed in the backyard of the Mason home, where Phillips apparently had unknown chemicals and powders, in addition to racks for glass beakers and other equipment. More photos appear to show Phillip making explosive devices in that shed, the court documents say.
