Compiled from information from the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office:
A Denville man accused of operating a homemade explosives laboratory was arrested Wednesday after authorities seized what prosecutors described as more than 100 containers of explosive material capable of “massive destruction.”
Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll acknowledged Thursday that “matters of national significance are transpiring in Northern New Jersey right now,” and that the arrest could prompt speculation and concerns. But he said investigators would not discuss the defendant’s alleged intent while the investigation continues.
Joseph Rizos, 37, of Denville, was arrested June 24, 2026, following a months-long investigation by the Morris Prosecutor’s Office.
Authorities said investigators executed a search warrant at Rizos’ Avondale Road residence after first stopping his vehicle and detaining him.
Inside the home, investigators said they discovered a laboratory and a cache of explosive precursors commonly used to manufacture homemade explosives, along with blasting caps, cell phones, firearms and ammunition.
A subsequent search of a shed on the property uncovered approximately 109 individual containers of suspected homemade explosive material. Prosecutors said investigators found no permit required by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development for storing such materials.
Nearby homes were evacuated temporarily as a precaution while authorities secured the scene.
The investigation began in March. Prosecutors allege Rizos operated a destructive-device manufacturing operation during 2025 and 2026.
Rizos is charged with one count of recklessly risking widespread injury or damage — a second degree crime —and four counts of third-degree possession of destructive devices. He remains jailed pending a detention hearing under New Jersey’s Criminal Justice Reform Act.
Authorities said additional charges may be filed.
The ongoing investigation is being led by the county prosecutor’s Special Operations Division, with assistance from the county sheriff’s office; Denville, Parsippany, Roxbury and Boonton police departments; the Morristown Police Department, the sheriff’s Bomb Squad, the New Jersey State Police Hazardous Materials Response Unit, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Newark Division and the FBI’s Newark office.
A criminal complaint is an accusation. Rizos is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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