Prosecutors Say Arizona Man Plotted Mass-Casualty Attack on a House of Worship; Judge Sets $100,000 Bond, Citing Hearsay

A 27-year-old Phoenix-area man is accused of plotting a mass-casualty attack on a Jewish or Muslim house of worship, with bombs followed by an accomplice shooting survivors, Maricopa County prosecutors said in court, FOX 10 Phoenix reported.

Matthew Bjornholt faces one felony count of making a terrorist threat. At his initial court appearance on Friday, Oct. 16, prosecutor Stephen Garcia asked for a $500,000 cash bond and called Bjornholt an imminent danger to the community, according to FOX 10.

His defense attorney says the case rests on hearsay from a "homeless alcoholic" Bjornholt had let stay on his couch. The judge said the state's preliminary evidence relied heavily on hearsay and set bond at $100,000, FOX 10 reported.

What Prosecutors Say Matthew Bjornholt Planned

Garcia told the court that Bjornholt laid out detailed plans to attack a religious site and kept a copy of "The Anarchist Cookbook," a bomb-making manual tied to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, and that he referred to the book as his "Bible," according to FOX 10 and Fox News.

According to prosecutors, the plan called for detonating bombs before an accomplice would begin "picking off people" with firearms. Investigators later seized three guns and ammunition from Bjornholt's home, FOX 10 reported.

It remains unclear whether specific houses of worship were targeted or whether an accomplice actually exists, according to FOX 10.

What the Defense Says

Defense attorney Chad Schell argued the charge is based entirely on unverified hearsay from a "disgruntled" former acquaintance, according to FOX 10. Schell told the court the tip came from a man Bjornholt had briefly let sleep on his couch before kicking him out in late September.

Schell said the FBI had already looked into the claims. He told the court that agents executed a search warrant at Bjornholt's home on Sept. 29, and that Bjornholt voluntarily handed over his electronic devices and passwords. According to Schell, federal investigators found no evidence of terrorism or bomb-making materials and did not bring federal charges before county authorities took over the case.

"There is no evidence he's a danger to the community. What is the evidence that he's a danger to the community? Some hearsay statements from some dude — that my client kicked out of his house two days before September 29," Schell told the court, according to FOX 10.

"Again, the FBI served a search warrant, got all of his electronic devices. He gave them access, gave him his passwords to those devices. They went through all of those electronic devices. They didn't see anything about terrorism. And FBI cut him loose," he said.

Schell also argued that the three guns were lawfully owned. He said Bjornholt's civil rights were restored after he completed a prior sentence on a drug charge that stemmed from a closed first-degree murder case, and that the murder charge was dropped for lack of evidence, FOX 10 reported. Schell said the ammunition found in the home amounted to no more than standard magazine loads.

The Judge's Ruling

Prosecutors cited Bjornholt's criminal history in asking for the higher bond, according to FOX 10. The judge found enough probable cause for the case to move forward but rejected the $500,000 request and set bond at $100,000.

Fox News Digital said it reached out to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and FBI Phoenix for comment.

Bjornholt is scheduled to return to court for a status conference on Oct. 22, followed by a preliminary hearing on Oct. 26, FOX 10 reported.

A criminal charge is an accusation. Bjornholt is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Sources: FOX 10 Phoenix, "'Picking off people': Valley man accused of plotting mass casualty attack with infamous OKC bombing 'cookbook'" (Oct. 16, 2026): https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/picking-off-people-valley-man-accused-plotting-mass-casualty-attack-infamous-okc-bombing-cookbook ; Fox News, "Arizona man accused of plotting mass casualty attack on religious site with 'cookbook' tied to OKC bombing" (Oct. 18, 2026): https://www.foxnews.com/us/arizona-man-accused-plotting-mass-casualty-attack-religious-site-cookbook-tied-okc-bombing ; New York Post (Oct. 19, 2026): https://nypost.com/2026/10/19/us-news/arizona-man-accused-of-plotting-mass-casualty-attack-on-religious-site-with-cookbook-tied-to-okc-bombing/