Man charged after 31 active pipe bombs found

Man facing 31 counts of manufacturing weapons of mass destruction.

June 8, 2018, 11:09 PM
Randall Allan Lee is pictured in this undated mugshot provided by the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.
Randall Allan Lee is pictured in this undated mugshot provided by the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.
Richmond County Sheriff's Office

A North Carolina man was charged with manufacturing weapons of mass destruction after 31 active pipe bombs were discovered in the woods in Person County, officials said.

Randall Allan Lee, 47, was arrested by the Person County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday after officers, acting on a tip, found explosive materials stuffed inside PVC-style pipes, the sheriff said in a press release. The Durham Bomb Squad assessed and neutralized the bombs, according to the release.

Person County is in north central North Carolina. Its county seat, Roxboro, is about 30 miles northof Durham.

Lee was charged with 31 counts of manufacturing weapons of mass destruction. His next scheduled court appearance is July 19, according to online court records..

The Person County Sheriff said he did not believe it was an act of terrorism, according to ABC affiliate WTVD.