Ohio
Ohio man arrested after investigators discover IED, videos, photos of bomb-making materials
A Mason, Ohio, man was arrested for allegedly possessing a destructive device after an investigation into an improvised explosive device (IED) found at a soccer complex led to the discovery of bomb-making materials.
James River Phillips, 20, was arrested Thursday by the FBI Cincinnati Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and charged with possession of an unregistered gun and possession of a destructive device.
The arrest comes after the task force conducted a federal court-ordered search in Mason that morning.
“The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested James River Phillips after he allegedly possessed a dangerous destructive device,” FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola said. “The FBI and our partners worked together to ensure his actions were stopped before there was any risk to public safety.”
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An Ohio man is accused of possessing an unregistered destructive device after an investigation was conducted by the FBI and local police. The photos show an IED, a detonator and what is believed to be explosive white powder. (Federal Affidavit)
According to an affidavit filed against Phillips, a Lebanon, Ohio, police officer discovered an IED at a soccer complex at about 12:30 a.m. Sept. 22, 2024.
Just before the discovery, the officer saw two men in their early 20s leaving the parking lot of the complex in a silver SUV, which was originally parked in the lot. The driver was described by police as having long curly hair.
The officer made a traffic stop and told the two men to leave the parking lot since the complex was closed, the affidavit noted.
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Once the two men left, the officer continued to drive in the parking lot and located an IED where the SUV had been parked, court documents allege.
“The IED had wires running from a pile of white powder to a control switch,” the affidavit states. “The control switch had a red light on when the LPD Officer discovered the IED. After encountering the device, the LPD Officer attempted to locate the two males but could not. The officer contacted Butler County Bomb Squad (BCBS) to seize the IED.”
BCBS discovered that the residue on the device contained nickel hydrazine nitrate, while the white powder contained erythritol tetranitrate.
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Photos recovered from iCloud appear to show Phillips was making explosive devices in the shed. There were three photos found in Phillips’ iCloud account taken Feb. 26, 2024, that appear to show an explosive device that was built in the shed. (Federal Affidavit)
As they tested the IED detonator, it exploded, breaking the handheld chemical identification device.
With the FBI’s help, investigators used cellular data to track Phillips’ phone to the parking lot between 12:15 a.m. and 12:21 a.m. The same phone allegedly sent two texts shortly after the SUV encountered police, one at 12:36 a.m. and the other at 12:40 a.m.
On Dec. 2, 2024, Phillips reportedly got a driver’s license photo, which the affidavit said shows him with the same curly hair the officer saw when he encountered the driver.
Investigators executed a search warrant on the Apple iCloud account associated with the phone, which resulted in a video from April 5, 2024, showing two unidentified men in a parking lot under streetlights, near portable restrooms and a soccer net.
One of the men could be heard counting down to one, before an explosive device detonated. In another video appearing to be from the same incident, an unidentified man says, “James, we gotta go,” and “James, come on.”
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Interior photos of the shed recovered from iCloud appear to show the shed contains running electricity, racks for glass beakers, heated magnetic mixers and unknown chemicals and powders. (Federal Affidavit)
The video then shows a hole in the ground, which investigators say was the result of the previous explosion. The two men are then seen picking up the debris and leftover components. GPS data from the metadata of the video shows the video was shot in the parking lot of the same soccer complex in Lebanon, where the police officer encountered the IED months later, the affidavit notes.
Additional photos and videos of explosions were reportedly found on the iCloud account from July 21, 2024, including the destruction of a car.
In one of the videos, investigators wrote, Phillips is seen holding a detonation device as another man counts down from five to one.
“After Phillips presses the detonation device, a large explosion is heard in the distance, and an unidentified male can be heard saying, ‘It blew the car above the tree line,’” the affidavit said. “Additional photos and videos taken on July 21, 2024, show an explosion followed by photos of the destruction of a car that appeared to be destroyed from the explosion.”
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The investigation later revealed to detectives that Phillips bought “precursor chemicals and materials for homemade explosives,” which were shipped to his home in Mason and another residence of his in Oxford.
His iCloud account also allegedly had recipes and notes on how to construct explosive devices, the affidavit claims.
Photos also allegedly show Phillips constructing explosive devices in a shed in the woods.
Phillips is expected to appear in court Friday for a bond hearing and will remain in custody until then.
Amanda-Clearcreek honors Ohio Air National Guard member Capt. Seth Koval
Amanda-Clearcreek honors Ohio Air National Guard member Capt. Seth Koval
The remains of three Ohio airmen who were killed in the crash of their KC-135 refueling plane in Iraq earlier this month will be returned this weekend, according to a family member of one of the deceased.
The airmen, identified as Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28, of Columbus; Capt. Curtis Angst, 30, of Wilmington, and Capt. Seth Koval, 38, of Stoutsville, will be brought back March 29 to Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base near Columbus, said Charles Simmons, Tyler’s father.
“Tyler will have a hero’s welcome, because he is a hero,” said Charles.
The Columbus Division of Police will be involved in the funeral procession when the airmen’s remains are transferred from the airport to funeral homes, said Columbus police Sgt. James Fuqua. That will take place between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. March 29, said Fuqua.
The airmen’s remains first arrived back in the U.S. on March 18 with a dignified transfer taking place at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
Curtis, Angst, and Simmons were members of the 166th Air Refueling Squadron connected to the 121st Air Refueling Wing based at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus.
The airmen, as well as three other servicemembers, died on March 12 when their KC-135 tanker crashed in western Iraq during a mission in support of Operation Epic Fury in Iran. The cause of the crash, which occurred in friendly airspace, has not been publicly identified. U.S. Central Command has said the incident did not involve hostile or friendly fire, and military experts have theorized the crash may have been the result of a collision with a second KC-135 that sustained heavy damage to its tail fin but landed safely at an airport in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@dispatch.com.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Thousands of people are expected to head to downtown Columbus for the 23rd annual Home Improvement Show this weekend.
Organizers say visitors can find ideas for everything from small interior design projects to major renovations.
The event is being held at the Ohio Expo Center and includes seminars, exhibits and demonstrations from local and national companies.
The show begins at noon Friday and runs until 6 p.m.
It continues Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Adult tickets cost $5 at the door.
Matt Patricia’s contract extension earlier this offseason included a pay raise that figures to make him the highest-paid assistant coach in college football this year.
But Patricia, who will make $3.75 million in guaranteed compensation as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator in 2026, also held an appreciation for his situation.
“Ohio State is such a special place, not only just the history, the tradition, the football program, the school, but the people here,” Patricia said. “Having a chance to have a little stability with my family, it’s hard when you have to move your family around, your kids and the new school and all that.”
Before he joined Ryan Day’s staff last year, the 51-year-old Patricia had bounced around as an assistant in the NFL for much of the decade.
He spent 2021 and 2022 in a variety of roles with the New England Patriots, then a year as a defensive assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles. He took off from coaching in 2024. The frequent relocation gave him perspective.
“We had an unbelievable experience settling into Columbus,” Patricia said. “Everybody’s been so nice and welcoming. It feels like home. It’s a big deal for us to be in a place where everybody’s happy. That’s really important.”
Patricia had a significant impact on the Buckeyes in his first year replacing Jim Knowles. Despite heavy roster attrition following their national championship season, he kept the defense atop the Football Bowl Subdivision. For the second straight season, no one allowed fewer points than Ohio State.
The 9.3 points per game allowed by the Buckeyes were the fewest by any defense since Alabama in 2011.
The success made Patricia a hot commodity on the coaching market, rebuilding his reputation as a sharp and creative football mind only a decade removed from his tenure as a Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator for the Patriots. He was a finalist for the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant.
Patricia said he heard about opportunities in the NFL and elsewhere across the college football landscape, though none of them would pry him away from Ohio State.
“It wasn’t necessarily something where you’re looking to leave,” Patricia said, “but you do have to listen when those things come up. I’m just glad everything worked out.”
His challenge in his second season mirrors his previous one, as the Buckeyes are again managing the loss of eight starters on defense.
But unlike 2025, they have fewer returning pieces, relying on a larger class of transfers to help fill the holes on the depth chart.
“With as much coming into the program for the first time, not only are you trying to catch them up on the football scheme, but you’re also trying to catch them up on everything else,” Patricia said. “This is how we work, this is how we do things, this is the standard we’re looking for, this is how we practice, this is how we prepare, this is how we go to school. That has to be also taught. It becomes a lot, but that’s why you bring in the right guys that have the mental makeup to do all that.”
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
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