Arizona man charged with terrorist threat after alleged plot against house of worship

Matthew Bjornholt, 27, was charged in Maricopa County Superior Court on October 16‑18, 2026, with making a terrorist threat after prosecutors alleged he plotted a mass‑casualty attack on a Jewish or Muslim house of worship in Chandler, Arizona.

According to the prosecution, Bjornholt outlined a plan that would use explosives to detonate inside the religious facility, followed by an accomplice who would “pick off” survivors with firearms. Prosecutors said he referred to The Anarchist Cookbook, a notorious bomb‑making manual, as his “Bible.”

Maricopa County prosecutor Stephen Garcia asked a $500,000 cash bond, describing Bjornholt as an imminent danger to the community. The presiding judge, however, set bond at $100,000 and ordered electronic monitoring while noting that the preliminary evidence relied heavily on hearsay.

Investigators seized three firearms and ammunition from Bjornholt’s residence. Defense attorney Chad Schell argued that the case rests on statements from a disgruntled former houseguest and that a prior FBI search on September 29 uncovered no bomb‑making materials or terrorism‑related evidence. Schell also contended that the firearms were legally possessed and that federal authorities declined to pursue charges.

The court scheduled a status conference for October 22 and a preliminary hearing for October 26. Bjornholt has not been convicted of the charge, and the outcome of the upcoming hearings will determine whether additional charges are filed.

This case highlights ongoing concerns about domestic terrorism and the influence of extremist literature in alleged violent plots, while also underscoring the challenges prosecutors face in proving imminent threat without physical evidence.