Boise man sentenced to decade in prison for possession of explosive devices

A Boise man was sentenced to 10 years in prison last week for possessing multiple explosive devices, the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office announced.

Robert Ellis, 43, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a bomb or explosive device after a year of court proceedings. He was sentenced by Honorable District Judge Nancy Baskin and is eligible for parole after four years, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Police officers in May 2025 discovered multiple “improvised explosive devices” in Ellis’s home and bedroom, 10 of which were equipped with “fuses for detonation purposes.” The department’s bomb squad destroyed those devices in a remote location, a news release said.

Investigators also discovered other materials associated with explosives and more than 50 manuals with instructions of how to create explosive devices, reportedly downloaded from what the prosecutor’s office describes as “anarchist and military sources.”

“The evidence made clear that the defendant knew exactly what he was building and what they were capable of,” Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts said. “The presence of detailed instructions — including materials targeting law enforcement — combined with the number and sophistication of these devices, made this an extraordinarily serious case.”

Read more: KTVB