NC man arrested after sending concerning letters to police chief, sheriff, accused of building bombs
A North Carolina man who threatened a local police chief and sheriff was being held Thursday under a $10 million bond.
Wayne Neil Maddison, 61, from Eden, was charged with weapons of mass destruction after police found he had explosive devices and sent "concerning" letters to Eden Police Chief Clint Simpson and Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page.
On Sept. 8, officers responded to a noise complaint at Maddison's home. They arrived, told him to keep the noise down, and he refused.
He was issued a city ordinance violation and scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 3. Then on Oct. 19, the police received a tip that Maddison had been in a local hardware store asking about different chemical fertilizers, specifically about nitrogen content.
Investigators discovered he made "a list of some sorts" and made multiple comments he was not going to court on Nov. 3.
After this tip, both Page and Simpson received letters from Maddison.
Authorities determined there was an "imminent safety concern to Maddison, law enforcement and the public," WXII News reports.
When authorities arrested him, they found shotgun shells, a flare gun, multiple fixed-blade knives on him and multiple improvised explosive devices at his house.
