Federal agents agreed to join an Alachua County investigation after police found more than 30 pipe bombs, an arsenal of rifles, shotguns and handguns, and more than 250 cannabis plants on a remote property in Archer on Monday.
Police found the explosive devices, made of metal pipe, black powder and fuses, and what they described as "mature" plants inside a house and a trailer located at 15508 SW 149th Place, according to an arrest report.
The report and jail records show that property owner Timothy Treffinger, 43, was arrested Tuesday and being held at the county jail on a $75,000 bond. The report lists his occupation as physical therapist.
Lt. Stephen Maynard, Alachua County Sheriff's Office spokesman, said it is common for police to seek help from federal authorities when such high quantities of contraband are found.
Federal court prosecution allows for lengthier prison sentences and tougher punishment, Maynard said.
He would not speculate on what Treffinger's charges would be but said people convicted in similar instances have spent life in prison.
Because the case is now a federal investigation, he said he couldn't say whether Treffinger was working alone or what he planned to do with 33 bombs - one of which resembled a grenade - and an assortment of 40 guns, including a rifle with an illegal silencer.
The county's bomb team responded to the scene Monday evening, but Maynard said it was too dark for them to dismantle explosives.
Police secured the property through the night and evacuated the one neighboring house. Members of the bomb team began disarming the weapons Tuesday morning and were still working Wednesday afternoon.
The process is a very tedious and lengthy task, Maynard said.
"The guys are wearing 80-pound bomb suits that feel about 100 degrees inside," he said. "Plus, we're dealing with thunderstorms through the day."
Maynard said the magnitude of such a find is unusual, but he would not comment on how police knew to search the house or where the findings would lead.
