An Ahnapee man is charged with two felony counts and a misdemeanor after the Brown County Bomb Squad and Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department found guns and explosive devices at his residence last December, the Kewaunee County District Attorney’s office said Tuesday.

James Gigstead, 37, of E5919 Wisconsin 54 in the town of Ahnapee, was charged March 4 with possession of improvised explosives and possession of a firearm by a felon, which carry a maximum sentence of 16 years.  He was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor.

Court records show that a neighbor had complained of hearing loud explosions from the residence on three occasions beginning in April 2014.   On Nov. 30, another neighbor told police that she heard an explosion that rocked her house and reported that she and her family had heard 6 to 12 explosions during the last year.

According to the complaint:

On Dec. 1, sheriff’s deputies executed a search of the Gigstead residence. Deputies found numerous guns at the residence in a locked shed, a bedroom and the barn. Because Gigstead had a previous felony conviction from February 2013 of manufacturing THC, sheriffs deputies took possession of the guns, court records said.

The bomb squad took possession of three improvised explosive devices and numerous other parts, pieces, liquids and powders believed to be utilized to make the explosive devices.  Gigstead told a deputy that initially he had made approximately 15 pounds of flash powder by mixing 5 pounds of aluminum powder and 10 pounds of potassium chloride, which he had purchased over the Internet.

Gigstead told police that he has shot off at least one of the bombs with a soda bottle of gasoline attached.  He said that he never blew up anything except items that were on his property and around his fire pit. When questioned by deputies about lighting off an explosive device in Algoma, Gigstead denied this and stated it was a mortar that he had bought from a friend, who has a license to buy large fireworks.

Gigstead said that his parents, who live at the residence, had left for Florida approximately one month prior to the search. Deputies also found what was allegedly a meth pipe in his vehicle.

The district attorney’s office said that Gigstead has been released from jail and no date for a court hearing has been set.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press Gazette: Ahnapee man charged after bomb squad search