Homemade explosives, guns found in bunker under Washington man’s garage

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. (KPTV) - After the discovery of firearms and explosives in an underground bunker beneath his home, a Snohomish County man has been sentenced to 42 months in prison.

Following his arrest in November 2021, James Wesley Bowden, 42, was sentenced on Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle.

According to a statement from the Department of Justice, Bowden was detained following a fight at his house during which he threatened another man with a gun.

Deputies who responded to the complaint of the fight found what they described as a “laboratory with various chemicals and equipment consistent with the manufacturing of homemade explosives” in the garage.

A photo of what authorities found inside the man's underground bunker at his Snohomish County... — A photo of what authorities found inside the man's underground bunker at his Snohomish County property.(U.S. District Court)

According to officials, when deputies had cleared the area of explosives, they discovered a detachable panel on the garage floor that led to an underground bunker where they found weapons, ammo, grenades, silencers, armor, and other supplies. According to the DOJ, two of the firearms were modified to fire as fully automatic machine guns.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez stated during the sentencing hearing that Bowden’s drug addiction probably contributed significantly to his illegal behavior.

Before this occurrence, Bowden was prohibited from owning any guns after being found guilty of two felonies in 1998.

Bowden entered a guilty plea to the possession of a handgun, machine gun, and destructive device charges in May 2022.