Joseph Rizos, already detained on state weapons and destructive-device charges, now faces three federal counts tied to materials allegedly kept at his home. Authorities have not alleged a target or publicly identified a motive.
DENVILLE, NJ – Federal prosecutors have charged a Denville man with unlawfully receiving and storing explosive materials and possessing plastic explosives that lacked a required detection agent, adding a federal case to the state prosecution that has kept him jailed since June.
Joseph Rizos, 37, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark on Aug. 26 and was ordered detained, according to an Aug. 28 announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Jersey. He is charged by federal complaint with unlawful receipt of explosive materials, unlawful storage of explosive material and possession of plastic explosives without a detection agent.
The federal complaint remains an accusation. Rizos is presumed innocent of those charges unless proven guilty.
Prosecutors allege that Rizos bought fuels, fuses, precursor chemicals and laboratory equipment from online retailers between approximately April 2020 and June 2026, then stored the materials at his Denville home. During a June 24 search, investigators allegedly found laboratory equipment in a bedroom, basement and garage, along with industrial and pharmaceutical chemicals that could be used to make explosives and containers holding suspected explosive material.
The federal release does not allege that Rizos selected a target, threatened anyone or planned an attack. It also does not disclose laboratory results identifying the suspected materials. Those gaps should not be filled with speculation.
A parallel state case remains pending
The state case is now moving through Morris County Superior Court. Local authorities said they recovered explosive precursors, blasting caps, firearms and ammunition, along with approximately 109 containers of suspected homemade explosive material from a shed. Nearby homes were temporarily evacuated as a precaution, according to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.
Rizos faces eight state charges: one second-degree count of recklessly risking widespread injury or damage, two counts involving alleged assault firearms, four counts of possessing destructive devices and one count involving alleged large-capacity magazines.
At an Aug. 3 hearing in Morristown, Rizos rejected a plea offer under which prosecutors would have recommended three years in state prison in exchange for a guilty plea to the widespread-injury charge. The state case was then marked for presentation to a grand jury. A grand jury determines whether there is enough evidence to indict; it does not decide guilt.
Defense attorney Brian Neary previously argued that many of the materials had legitimate uses and that investigators had not produced evidence of an intended attack. Rizos also is presumed innocent of the pending state charges.
What the federal counts mean
Federal law generally bars possession of plastic explosives that do not contain a detection agent. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says those agents make the material detectable by vapor-detection equipment or trained dogs. The law contains narrow exceptions, including for certain lawful research and military or law-enforcement uses.
The receipt and plastic-explosives counts each carry a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The storage count carries a maximum of one year and a $100,000 fine. Maximum penalties are not a prediction of any sentence, and no conviction has occurred.
The federal investigation involved the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, DEA, ATF, New Jersey State Police, Morris County Sheriff’s Office and Morris County Prosecutor’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the case is being handled by its National Security Unit. That assignment describes the prosecuting unit; it does not establish a motive or prove the allegations.