A Cary man has been charged with possession of weapons of mass destruction after bomb-making materials were found.
According to the warrants, the materials included gunpowder, flint, PVC pipe, safety wire and pipe sealant, which were found in a brown paper bag on the floor on the passenger side of Lawrence's vehicle.
An explosive device was brought to Cary police earlier this month, sparking an investigation that led to Lawrence's arrest.
On December 12, a family member of Lawrence reported to police that he had made devices believed to be bombs and had allegedly threatened to kill Muslims.
However, law enforcement found no evidence of the alleged threats during their search, and no charges were filed in connection with this claim.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) thanked the family for their actions in alerting authorities.
“They also want to thank the family who took action and reported this individual,” said Corey Saylor, a CAIR researcher. “They saw pieces of what looked like an explosive device, had apparently heard anti-Muslim comments and took action against it rather than let it happen.”
Lawrence admitted making the devices, claimed they were intended as “noise makers” and denied making threats against anyone.
Lawrence remains in custody at the Wake County Detention Center.