Over two dozen pipe bombs were found in a New York apartment after neighbors reported hearing explosions from inside.
The apartment on Odell Avenue in White Plains drew the police and FBI on Monday after neighbors complained about hearing small explosions.
“About 4-ish in the morning, it was a boom,” neighbor Patricia Brunson told CBS News.
When investigators arrived after reports of a possible transformer explosion, they found “supplies to make explosives and 25 complete pipe bombs” inside the apartment, according to the network.
When they took resident Raymond Elders, 65, into custody, they found that he had black/blue residue on his hands and was holding a lighter.
During Elders’ courtroom appearance the following day at the White Plains Federal Building, a prosecutor reportedly said it was a “miracle” he hadn’t hurt someone and called his crimes the “height of recklessness.”
“His behavior was dangerous, flagrant, and reckless,” the prosecutor insisted.
The prosecutor also played surveillance footage from March 18 showing Elders lighting a device on the sidewalk by his apartment building and then throwing it into the street, after which an explosion was heard:
White Plains suspicious device: video shows suspect 10 days ago lighting and throwing a small explosive. As he hurries away – a loud boom. Waiting on possible charges after extensive FBI and ATF search of apt on Odell Ave. @CBSNewYork pic.twitter.com/gB15Y5Rcgm
— Tony Aiello (@AielloTV) March 31, 2026
The judge presiding over the case ordered that Elders be held in federal custody for the time being. His neighbors were thrilled.
“We just want to be safe where we live, and in this day and age, with all these terrorists, who knows?” neighbor Van Brunson said.
“I think the city should kind of rethink, you know, how much security we have in this kind of neighborhood and do something about it,” neighbor Myrna Fahnestock added.
What remains unknown is the motive for Elders’ wild behavior. Local station WABC suspects it’s tied to a neighbor dispute. Elders’ defense attorney, meanwhile, made the case that he struggles with addiction.
After Elders’ arrest, White Plains Commissioner of Public Safety Wade Hardy issued a statement letting everybody know that everything was okay.
“We want to assure the residents of White Plains that their safety remains our highest priority,” he said. “We can confirm that there are no explosive materials currently present in the first-floor apartment at 11 Odell Avenue, and that the immediate neighborhood is safe.”
“The subject of interest, who was taken into custody by the White Plains Police Department, is a White Plains resident—a white male in his 60s. This morning, he has been turned over to the FBI,” Hardy added.
Dozens of pipe bombs discovered in suburban NY apartment after neighbors heard loud booms for weeks Renter Raymond Elders, 65, had black and blue residue on his hands and was holding a lighter when police took him into custody. https://t.co/O6kVZdA05W pic.twitter.com/u60akOoeri
— NahBabyNah (@NahBabyNahNah) April 1, 2026
Elders, for his part, won’t be headed back to court until April 29.
This case comes half a year after another New York man, Michael Gann, was federally charged for manufacturing at least 16 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) using chemicals he’d ordered online and then storing some of them on the rooftops of apartment buildings in Manhattan.
He also “threw at least one IED onto the subway tracks of the Williamsburg Bridge, and subsequently lied to law enforcement about having disposed of his explosives and supplies in a dumpster,” according to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release.
A New York man is facing federal charges after allegedly building and stashing homemade bombs across Manhattan, including on active subway tracks and residential rooftops.
Michael Gann, 55, of Inwood, was charged Tuesday with manufacturing at least seven improvised explosive… pic.twitter.com/EinHdhLVja
— Melissa Hallman (@dotconnectinga) July 23, 2025
“Michael Gann allegedly produced multiple improvised explosive devices intended for use in Manhattan,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said in a statement.
“Due to the successful partnership of law enforcement agencies in New York, Gann was swiftly brought to justice before he could harm innocent civilians shortly after his dangerous actions became known. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is enduring in its commitment and determination to protect the homeland,” he added.
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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