Mehta captured in Austin, Texas after raid on Fort Smith home
by February 7, 2023 11:34 am 2,148 views
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced Tuesday (Feb. 7) the capture of Neil Ravi Mehta in Austin, Texas. He had been on the run following a Jan. 31 raid on his home.
The FBI and other federal agencies on Jan. 31 conducted a raid of Mehta’s Fort Smith home that took many hours and may have included the discovery of weapons and cash. (Link here for the story of the raid.)
According to information provided to Talk Business & Politics, the raid of a home at 6999 Free Ferry Road in Fort Smith uncovered weapons, bombs and possibly bomb-making material, and significant amounts of cash in U.S. and foreign currencies.
Press inquiries are being handled by the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas.
This story will be updated when the office provides details about next steps in the matter.
The following information was provided late Tuesday by the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas.
“According to court documents, Neil Ravi Mehta, 31, was found to be in possession of an “improvised explosive bomb” during a federal search warrant executed at his residence on Free Ferry Road, in Fort Smith, Ark. Law enforcement officers located the device in the top left corner of the kitchen island. The device was x-rayed by bomb technicians on-scene, made safe, and the evidence was collected.
“Mehta is charged in a Criminal Complaint with a single count of Unlawful Possession of an Unregistered Destructive Device. A Grand Jury will later hear evidence related to this investigation and determine whether additional criminal charges will be filed against Mehta. If convicted of the charge of Unlawful Possession of an Unregistered Destructive Device, Mehta faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.”