IED event in United States of America on Wed 24th June 2026

A Morris County man is facing several charges for allegedly working to create large-scale destructive devices in his home, authorities said.

Joseph Rizos, 37, of Denville, was arrested June 24 after investigators carried out a search warrant at his Avondale Road house, according to a press release from the Morris County Prosecutor's Office. Rizos was detained following a motor vehicle stop prior to the search of the home.

The search uncovered a home laboratory with a cache of "explosive precursors" commonly used to make homemade devices, the release stated. Law enforcement seized blasting caps and cell phones along with various firearms and ammunition.

Investigators also searched a shed on Rizos' property, which was found to have more than 100 containers of suspected homemade explosives "capable of massive destruction," the release stated. Rizos did not have a permit issued by state officials required to store the materials.

Authorities temporarily evacuated homes in the surrounding area as a precaution following the search, according to the release.

The prosecutor's office initiated the investigation in March and alleged that Rizos ran a manufacturing operation dating back to 2025. Rizos was charged June 24 with one count of recklessly risking widespread injury/damage and four counts of possession of destructive devices.

Rizos remains in the Morris County Correctional Facility pending a motion for pretrial detention. The investigation is ongoing and may result in additional charges.

The prosecutor's office special operations division is carrying out the investigation along with officers from the Morris County Sheriff's Office and police departments in Denville, Parsippany, Roxbury and Boonton. Other agencies assisting include the Morristown Police Department, the sheriff's office bomb squad, the State Police hazardous material response unit, the Attorney General's Office, and the Newark offices of the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration.