Florida man Brandon Russell was arrested after police found bomb-making materials at his apartment on May 19. (Image courtesy of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office)
A self-professed neo-Nazi will be allowed to dwell in the comforts of his own home while awaiting trial on explosives charges, thanks to a judge’s recent ruling.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas McCoun granted the bond request of 21-year-old Brandon Russell on Friday, June 9, rejecting the government’s claim that Russell should remain in jail because he poses a threat to society.
“I am unable to conclude there is clear and convincing evidence that defendant represents a threat to any other person,” McCoun wrote in his decision.
Russell, a member of the U.S. National Guard, faces charges stemming from the discovery of explosives and bomb-making materials at his Tampa, Fla., apartment on May 19, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Police said they found the materials during a search after Russell’s roommate, Devon Arthurs, 18, fatally shot their other two roommates — 22-year-old Jeremy Himmelman and Andrew Oneschuk, 18 — for disrespecting his new Muslim beliefs.
Their killings are currently being investigated.
Authorities said they discovered a framed photo of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh in Russell’s bedroom. A copy of Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kamf” was also found, as well as a copy of white nationalist novel “The Turner Diaries.” In addition, Russell told authorities that he belonged to a neo-Nazi group called Atom Waffen (“Atomic Bomb” in German).
Arthurs reportedly told police that his roommate often threatened to blow up buildings and kill people on white supremacist websites, according to Fox 13. The police arrested Russell on June 7, after he and a friend purchased guns and several rounds of ammunition.
The conditions of Russell’s bond weren’t released Friday; Judge McCoun said the exact amount and details of the bond would be released later in a separate order.
