Rolling Stones legend Keith Richards was 'target of millionaire ex-chemist's bomb plot'
- Joseph Callahan was arrested following discovery at Connecticut mansion
- Accused of stockpiling guns, ammo and home-made bombs at his home
- He allegedly told police he had been planning to target the guitarist
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A retired chemist allegedly told police he planned to blow up Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.
Joseph C. Callahan, 69, from Connecticut, is accused of stockpiling an incredible arsenal of guns, ammunition and home-made bombs in his $1million mansion.
He was arrested on Monday after police were called to his home after his ex-wife became worried at his lack of contact.
Retired chemist, Joseph C. Callahan, told police he planned to blow up Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards
According to a police report, he said he was making a bomb intended for Richards, 69, reported the Fairfield Citizen.
But, he claimed he never meant to hurt Richards. He insists it was just a gift.
According to the warrant, the bomb was allegedly in the garage next to the spray tank, but Callahan couldn't remember if he had attached a fuse to it yet.
Callahan lives in Greenfield Hill,
Connecticut, almost 10 miles from Richards’ home in Weston.
When questioned Callahan allegedly said of the ammonium nitrate: 'That’s the chemical used in the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing.'
Police say Callahan had more than 250 guns, tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition and explosive devices at his house in Fairfield.
Scene: The five-bedroom residence in Fairfield, Connecticut, is valued at over $1 million
Callahan, who has a chemistry background, was charged with 11 counts of illegal possession of explosives, six counts of first-degree reckless endangerment and one count of manufacturing bombs.
On his LinkedIn page, Callahan says he is president of chemical company Remair.
He also worked at gun manufacturer Remington Arms for nearly two decades.
The Hartford Courant reported that local police and federal agents raided the five-bedroom property last week and officers found 274 firearms, tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition and a large amount of hazardous materials on October 1.
Authorities immediately closed down Bronson Road, where the home is located.
It then took two days for experts to deal with the dangerous materials and make the area safe.
No one was injured in the operation, which included agents from the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, alongside state and local police.
Fairfield police chief Gary Macnamara described 'tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition strewn through the residence', as reported by Fox Connecticut.
There were also scores of containers of highly explosive material stored at the large property at 1625 Bronson Road.
Christopher Tracy, Fairfield's acting fire chief, said in a press release last Wednesday that 'a large amount of various chemicals' were found at the home.
Danger: Authorities found larger amounts of explosive materials stashed at the property
Dennis Schain of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection added that some of the chemicals may have been used by Callahan in his rocketry hobby.
Callahan is reportedly cooperating with authorities and was released from custody to remove the remaining dangerous chemicals.
His attorney to told TMZ that while Callahan was mentally unstable at the time of his arrest, but he stabilized and was released on his own recognizance.
The Courant reported that haz-mat professionals and fire department officers will remain on the scene until Callahan fully complies with the court order to dispose of the material.
He is due in court in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on October 16.
Last night, Callahan’s lawyer Richard Meehan said he had not seen the arrest report but added: 'He is a delightful gentleman who never had any intention to make a bomb and never intended to hurt anybody.'
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