Federal authorities announced on Apr. 1 that Raymond Elders of White Plains has been arrested and charged with manufacturing, possessing, and detonating suspected improvised explosive devices in his apartment and on a residential street. Elders was taken into custody by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court, where he was detained.
The case highlights concerns about public safety after law enforcement discovered dozens of suspected explosive devices in Elders’s residence following multiple reports of unexplained explosions from neighbors.
“By allegedly manufacturing dozens of suspected explosive devices and storing them in his apartment, Raymond Elders put everyone in his community at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “But he didn’t stop there. As alleged in the complaint, and over a period of months, he lit these devices and detonated them in his neighborhood in White Plains, causing unexplained explosions that his neighbors repeatedly reported to the police. It should go without saying that anyone who tosses illegal explosives onto New York residential streets should expect to face serious consequences, including federal criminal charges brought by our Office.”
FBI Assistant Director James C. Barnacle, Jr., said: “Raymond Elders allegedly constructed dozens of IEDs and detonated at least two in his neighborhood. Elders’s alleged actions repeatedly disregarded the public’s safety by subjecting innocent bystanders to potentially devastating harm. We thank the White Plains Police Department and the Westchester County Bomb Squad for their prompt response and for protecting the residents of Westchester County. The FBI continues to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities from violence.”
According to details provided by prosecutors, surveillance video captured Elders igniting suspected explosive devices on Odell Avenue on at least two occasions in March 2026. On March 30, police responding to multiple emergency calls found an apparent pipe bomb outside Elders’s apartment building; a subsequent search revealed approximately 25 additional suspected explosive devices as well as materials used for assembly.
Elders faces several charges including use of a weapon of mass destruction (with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment), possession of destructive devices after a felony conviction (up to 15 years), receipt and possession of explosives after a felony conviction (up to 10 years), unlawful possession (up to 10 years), and unlawful manufacture (up to 10 years). Sentencing will be determined by a judge if there is a conviction.
U.S. Attorney Clayton praised local law enforcement agencies for their investigative work on this case while reminding that all charges are accusations until proven otherwise.
