A former sophomore at the University of Chicago, who inadvertently detonated a bomb in his dorm while plotting to support Armenian causes, has been charged with lying to federal authorities, as prosecutors revealed on Thursday.

According to federal officials, Aram Brunson, 21, who is currently outside the U.S., is labeled as an extremist who was honing his bomb-making skills with the intention of motivating Armenian militants.

“The allegations against Aram Brunson are troubling. We suspect he devised a deliberate scheme to hide his attempts to develop bomb-making capabilities and create an explosive device to support his violent extremist plans,” stated Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Division.

Prosecutors noted in a press release that Brunson aimed to partake in what he termed “revolutionary direct action and terrorism” for Armenian causes. He has also produced videos instructing others on how to build explosive devices and rig various items, like doors and desks, with grenades. His online searches reportedly indicated intentions to target foreign diplomatic establishments in the United States.

Brunson, who previously lived in Newton, Massachusetts, was interrogated by the FBI following a January 2023 blast in his dorm that caused no injuries but led to plaster falling from the walls and smoke filling the hall. He claimed to the agents that the explosion was accidental and occurred while he was attempting to create a flare as part of a prank, according to court documents.

Months later, Brunson was traveling to Armenia when his luggage triggered explosive detection alarms at Boston Logan International Airport. Federal agents discovered residues of explosive materials in his bags and found a bomb-making recipe in his room. Court records also revealed he had recorded several tutorials on how to “form, fund, and arm a revolutionary group.”

However, by the time federal agents issued an arrest warrant for him this week, he had already fled the country. U.S. authorities believe he is now residing in Yerevan, Armenia, and is enrolled at an American university there.

Brunson faces charges of falsifying and concealing important information through deceitful means and providing false statements to federal officials, with each charge potentially resulting in a maximum of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

Bomb Squad Discovered Gunpowder in Brunson’s Dorm Room

Brunson first attracted the FBI’s attention after he accidentally caused an explosion in his dormitory at Woodlawn Commons, University of Chicago, on January 2, 2023, as reported in a criminal complaint in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

According to the affidavit by FBI Special Agent Thomas Dalton, two fellow students heard the explosion and reported plaster falling off their walls, followed by smoke pouring into the hallway outside Brunson’s room.

Upon arrival, firefighters found a “suspicious white powder” and the scent of flammable chemicals in his room, Dalton wrote. Brunson was absent when they arrived. Later, the Chicago Bomb Squad uncovered chemicals used for making gunpowder, a type of explosive, during their investigation.

Officials: Brunson Recorded Videos about Forming a Revolutionary Group

Brunson initially told campus police that the explosion stemmed from kitchen activities on a hot plate, which is prohibited in dorms, leading him to panic and leave the area. However, when interviewed by FBI agents a few hours later, he claimed he was simply attempting to create a flare in his room based on a YouTube tutorial.

He stated to agents that he was inspired by an Internet prank where someone used black powder to incinerate an iPhone to see if it would work, according to court filings.

However, when FBI agents later examined his laptop, they could not find any mention of that internet prank, according to Dalton.

Instead, they discovered approximately ten videos from May 2022 where Brunson outlined how to start a “revolutionary group,” according to court records. In these videos, he also discussed methods to financially support bombs and other weapons via drug sales or robberies and identified potential assassination targets, including various political figures and a former military leader from Azerbaijan.

The charging documents linked Brunson’s bomb-making endeavors to his aim to engage in militant actions against Azerbaijanis and other groups in conflicts involving ethnic Armenians in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Days after the explosion, Brunson returned to stay with his parents in Newton, Massachusetts. Eight months later, he went to Boston Logan International Airport for a flight to Armenia. TSA officers found traces of explosives in his luggage when they screened it, per the affidavit. Brunson claimed ignorance about the explosives found and denied ever having handled them, as stated in court documents.

On August 23, 2023, shortly after Brunson met with Customs and Border Protection agents at the airport, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his parent’s house, discovering a notebook in Brunson’s room containing a formula for HMTD, a substance believed to be linked to the explosives found in his luggage, as detailed by Dalton.