A man from Massachusetts, identified as Aram Brunson, has been accused of participating in a plan to conceal activities aimed at acquiring bomb-making skills subsequent to causing an explosion in his dormitory at the University of Chicago last year, as disclosed by federal investigators on Thursday. The 21-year-old from Newton faces charges not only for the explosion incident but also for providing false information to federal agents at Logan International Airport when his luggage triggered alarms detecting explosives, according to a criminal complaint filed in a federal court in Boston.
Authorities revealed that Brunson’s involvement in bomb-making endeavors was associated with his intention to take militant actions against Azerbaijanis and other perceived threats to ethnic Armenians residing in the contested area of Nagorno-Karabakh.
It is believed that Brunson is presently residing in Yerevan, Armenia, and attending the American University there. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has not yet responded to inquiries concerning legal representation for Brunson. His encounters with law enforcement started in Chicago in January 2023 after allegedly causing an explosion in his living quarters.
Investigators mentioned that Brunson was in the process of crafting a substantial black powder device when it unintentionally detonated, resulting in damage to his room and the evacuation of the residence hall. Brunson purportedly informed law enforcement that he was attempting to emulate a prank he had seen online.
Additionally, Brunson filmed instructional videos on developing explosive devices and booby-trapping doors and desks with grenades, as per investigators. His online search history indicated intentions to target foreign diplomatic establishments within the U.S., they added.
When departing Boston for Armenia in August 2023, the alarms for explosives were triggered by Brunson’s luggage, revealing traces of an uncommon and highly volatile explosive, court records stated. Despite this discovery, Brunson informed Customs and Border Protection officials that he was unaware of how the material had come to be on his possessions.
Following a subsequent search of his domicile in Newton, authorities uncovered an explosive recipe, and a detection dog identified the substance at three locations in the bedroom. Expressing his sentiment, Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy stated, “While radical political views may be offensive, they are constitutionally protected. However, experimenting with extremely dangerous explosives in support of those views and then engaging in false statements about your conduct is crossing the line.”
Despite efforts to persuade Brunson to return to the U.S. for discussions with investigators, he has declined the offer through a representative, according to the criminal complaint. The charges against him carry penalties of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines reaching $250,000.
