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.
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 was registered to Davisson in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR), a violation of federal law…