In Austin today, the federal grand jury indicted 35-year-old Joshua Colin Honigberg for possessing an improvised explosive device, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.

The indictment charges Honigberg with one count of unlawful possession of a destructive device.  According to court records, FBI agents and Austin Police officers executed a search warrant on May 29, 2020, at the defendant’s residence.  During the search, authorities recovered an explosive bomb capable of causing property damage and personal injuries and/or death to nearby persons upon detonation. 

Upon conviction, Honigberg faces up to ten years in federal prison. 

The FBI, together with the Austin Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Sparks is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.