An Arizona man is facing a felony charge of making a terrorist threat after prosecutors accused him of plotting a mass casualty attack on a Jewish or Muslim house of worship, a plan they say involved firearms, explosives and an accomplice assigned to shoot survivors.
Matthew Bjornholt, 27, appeared in a Maricopa County courtroom for an initial hearing, where prosecutor Stephen Garcia requested a $500,000 cash bond and described the defendant as an imminent danger to the community. Garcia said Bjornholt had laid out a detailed blueprint for violence and kept a copy of «The Anarchist Cookbook», a bomb-making manual that has been linked to Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. According to the prosecutor, Bjornholt referred to the book as his «Bible».
The alleged plan, as described in court, called for detonating bombs at the site before an accomplice would begin «picking off people» with firearms. Investigators later seized three guns and ammunition from Bjornholt's home. It remains unclear whether a specific house of worship was targeted or whether a specific accomplice had been identified.
Defense attorney Chad Schell pushed back sharply against the allegations, telling the court that the case rests on unverified hearsay from a disgruntled former acquaintance. Schell said the tip came from a «homeless alcoholic» whom Bjornholt had briefly allowed to stay on his couch before asking him to leave late last month.
Schell said federal authorities had already examined the claims weeks earlier. According to the defense, the FBI executed a search warrant at Bjornholt's home on Sept. 29, and Bjornholt voluntarily provided his electronic devices and passwords. Schell said federal investigators found no evidence of terrorism or bomb-making materials and did not pursue federal charges before county authorities took over the case about two weeks later.
«There is no evidence he's a danger to the community», Schell told the court. «What is the evidence that he's a danger to the community? Some hearsay statements from some dude — that my client kicked out of his house two days before September 29». He added that the FBI reviewed all of the electronic devices and «cut him loose».
The defense also argued that the three seized guns were lawfully possessed, saying Bjornholt's civil rights were restored after he completed a sentence on a drug charge tied to a closed first-degree murder case. According to Schell, the murder charge was dropped for lack of evidence. He said the ammunition found in the home amounted to no more than standard magazine loads.
Despite prosecutors citing Bjornholt's criminal history in arguing for the higher bond, the judge said the state's preliminary evidence relied heavily on hearsay and set bond at $100,000. The judge nevertheless found enough probable cause to move the case forward.
Bjornholt is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 22 for a status conference, with a preliminary hearing set for Oct. 26. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office and FBI Phoenix did not immediately respond to requests for comment.