ATF NEWS: Florida, Jacksonville Man Going to JAIL...Stop the Nonsense
By Gregory Kielma
Secret Arsenal Shut Down In Florida: Jacksonville Man Gets Four Years For Explosives Cache
Secret Arsenal Shut Down In Florida: Jacksonville Man Gets Four Years For Explosives Cache
Story by Maria Hernandez
A Jacksonville man, Matthew Reid Davisson, 36,
has been sentenced to four years and five months in federal prison for illegally possessing unregistered destructive devices. U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard handed down the sentence after Davisson pleaded guilty on February 18, 2025.
The investigation also revealed an unregistered firearm. One of Davisson’s family members surrendered a gun belonging to him, which was later identified as an unregistered machinegun with an unregistered homemade silencer attached to the barrel.
Davisson’s arrest stems from an unrelated state charge on October 26, 2023. Following his arrest, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) received a tip that Davisson was storing large amounts of chemicals and possible grenades at his Jacksonville residence.
A search of the home by law enforcement uncovered a significant cache of illegal materials, including:
・Two improvised explosive bombs
・One improvised explosive grenade
・Parts to readily assemble three additional improvised explosive grenades
・Quantities of homemade high explosives and detonators
・Large volumes of explosive precursor chemicals
・Homemade explosive manufacturing equipment
None of these destructive devices were registered to Davisson in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR), a violation of federal law.
The investigation also revealed an unregistered firearm. One of Davisson’s family members surrendered a gun belonging to him, which was later identified as an unregistered machinegun with an unregistered homemade silencer attached to the barrel.
The case was the result of a joint investigation conducted by the ATF, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the JSO. Assistant United States Attorneys David B. Mesrobian and Rachel Lasry prosecuted the case.