A federal judge sentenced a North Carolina man to 25 years in prison for teaching bomb-making to someone who intended to target federal law enforcement officers.

A jury found Christopher Arthur, 40, guilty in 2023 of bomb-related charges and illegal weapon possession, including improvised explosives on his Mount Olive farm. Arthur, an Army and National Guard veteran, founded Tackleberry Solutions, producing manuals and videos on wartime tactics and creating “fatal funnels” to trap law enforcement.

Arthur came to the FBI’s attention in 2020 when his manuals were found with Joshua Blessed, who attacked law enforcement in New York and died after a high-speed chase and gunfight. Arthur was arrested in January 2022 after instructing a confidential informant, “Buckshot,” on bomb construction.

During the trial, Arthur claimed his materials aimed to help people defend themselves amidst anticipated chaos. Before sentencing, dressed in orange jail clothes, he warned of impending violence, urging people to prepare.

Despite defense objections, the judge upheld domestic terrorism enhancements. Arthur’s public defender, Ed Gray, described him as a deeply religious veteran preparing for an apocalypse, not a terrorist. Judge James C. Dever III acknowledged Arthur’s service but emphasized the seriousness of targeting law enforcement.

“It’s really sad, honestly,” the judge said, recognizing both Arthur’s military service and the risks faced by law enforcement families.