Greenfield Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of an Unregistered Firearm

            CONCORD - Alexander Arsenault, 35, of Greenfield, pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday to possession of an unregistered firearm, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.

             According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 1, 2018, a device exploded in an empty vehicle parked outside of a home in Greenfield, New Hampshire.  The vehicle was severely damaged and law enforcement recovered a match near the driveway of the home.  Investigators seized items believed to be from the device that damaged the vehicle and determined that a homemade bomb consisting of a low explosive main charge and a non-electrical fusing system was used for the explosion. 

            Upon further investigation, law enforcement learned that Arsenault had disputes with the owners of the vehicle and that he had previously purchased items consistent with the items found at the scene of the explosion.  A search of Arsenault’s home yielded a typed out document about how to answer law enforcement questions regarding the destruction of a vehicle.  A records search revealed that Arsenault has never registered a firearm as required under the National Firearms Act.

            Arsenault is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2021.

           “By creating and detonating a homemade bomb, the defendant severely damaged a vehicle and jeopardized lives,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “I am grateful to the FBI and the law enforcement officers whose hard work identified the Mr. Arsenault and led to this prosecution.  We will always work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prevent threats to public safety.”      

           “Annoyed by what he believed to be excessive noise coming from his neighbor’s home, Alex Arsenault knowingly and willingly made a home-made explosive bomb, detonated it on their property, and put his fellow citizens in fear for their lives,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The quick and decisive action by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, and our partners at the Greenfield Police Department, averted an already hazardous situation from spiraling dangerously out of control.”

            This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Greenfield Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski.

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