Litchfield man found with pipe bombs expected for pretrial hearing

HILLSDALE — A Litchfield man wanted on a number of weapons and drug charges, including possession of pipe bombs, is tentatively scheduled for a criminal pretrial conference in 1st Judicial Circuit Court at 1 p.m. Aug. 19.

Arvil Wesley Bryant, 32, is charged with aggravated harassment, malicious use of telecommunications services, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of bombs with unlawful intent, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and felony firearm.

Investigators with the Michigan State Police Fugitive Task Force were searching for Bryant on a felony warrant issued May 8 charging him with the crimes when he was spotted on a motorcycle near Ray, just west of Montgomery.

The Fugitive Task Force tracked Bryant to Fremont, Indiana, from Ray, where another pipe bomb was discovered on his motorcycle. He was taken into custody without incident, police said.

Michigan State Police executed three near-simultaneous search warrants at Ray’s compound where Bryant was first spotted on May 14, his girlfriend’s home in Hillsdale and a third home on Litchfield Road in Litchfield Township on May 15 as part of their investigation.

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Bryant faced an extradition hearing in Steuben County, Indiana, but was not charged locally in Indiana for the pipe bomb found on his motorcycle the day of his arrest, nor for a handgun he possessed.

Bryant is being held on $100,000 bail and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted as charged.

— Contact reporter Corey Murray at [email protected] or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @cmurrayHDN.

This article was originally published on Hillsdale Daily News: Litchfield man found with pipe bombs set for pretrial conference