Matthew Bjornholt, 27, faces a felony charge of making a terrorist threat over an alleged plan to attack a Jewish or Muslim house of worship in Arizona, according to the supplied report. Maricopa County prosecutors allege the plan involved explosives and firearms, but the specific religious site and any proposed accomplice have not been identified publicly in the account.
At Bjornholt’s initial court appearance Friday, prosecutor Stephen Garcia asked for a $500,000 cash bond, describing him as an imminent threat to the community, the report said. Garcia alleged Bjornholt had a copy of “The Anarchist Cookbook,” a bomb-making manual associated with Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, and called the book his “Bible.” Prosecutors further alleged the plan was to set off bombs, followed by an accomplice shooting survivors.
Investigators seized three firearms and ammunition from Bjornholt’s home, according to the report. The judge set bond at $100,000, substantially below the amount sought by prosecutors. The judge found probable cause to move the case forward, while also observing that the state’s preliminary showing relied heavily on hearsay, the report said. A probable-cause finding allows the case to proceed; it is not a determination of guilt.
Defense attorney Chad Schell rejected the prosecution’s account and said the allegations came from an unverified report by a former acquaintance who had briefly stayed at Bjornholt’s home. Schell characterized the source as a disgruntled former houseguest who had been asked to leave. Those assertions were presented by the defense and have not been independently established in the supplied material.
Schell also told the court that the FBI searched Bjornholt’s home on Sept. 29 and examined electronic devices after Bjornholt provided access and passwords. According to the attorney, federal investigators found no evidence of terrorism or bomb-making and did not bring federal charges before county officials took over the matter weeks later. The account does not include a response from the FBI; Fox News said it had sought comment from FBI Phoenix and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
The defense attorney argued that the firearms were legally possessed. He said Bjornholt’s civil rights had been restored after he completed a sentence for a drug charge connected to a previously closed first-degree murder case. Schell said the murder charge was dropped for lack of evidence. He also described the seized ammunition as ordinary magazine loads. The supplied report does not provide independent confirmation of those statements.
The report says prosecutors cited Bjornholt’s criminal history in seeking the higher bond. It does not specify which religious site investigators believe was considered, establish whether another person was involved, or detail what evidence beyond the allegations was presented at the initial hearing.
Bjornholt was scheduled to return to court Oct. 22 for a status conference and Oct. 26 for a preliminary hearing, according to the report published Oct. 19, 2026. The allegations remain unproven, and the case was still pending at the time covered by the source.
