JOHNSON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — According to the Johnson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO), Tristan Justice, 54, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for gun charges and owning unregistered explosive devices.
Justice was arrested in early September on drug and gun charges, and before that, he was arrested and charged with impersonating an officer.
In a search of Justice's home in early September, authorities say they found:
- Law enforcement items
- Fake law enforcement IDs
- Drug paraphernalia
- Tactical gear
- A loaded firearm
A few weeks after that search, JCSO says they received "credible information" that Justice had "produced devices designed to inflict harm to persons, mainly law enforcement."
Authorities say because Justice has "a warrantless search waiver on file," a search was conducted on his vehicle, where devices described as "booby traps" were found.
Another search was then conducted at Justice's home the same day where investigators say they found explosive devices that Justice later admitted to making.
Authorities say they found the following items during the second search:
- Drug paraphernalia
- Methamphetamine
- Additional booby trap devices
- A device that contained: "projectiles, black powder, and an ignition source"
- A device with a shotgun shell
- Materials consistent with "the construction of explosive devices"
Justice was charged with the following felonies in September:
- Possession of a booby trap
- Criminal use of a prohibited weapon
- Criminal possession of explosive material or a destructive device
- Possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine)
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Driving with a suspended license
In October 2022, authorities with JCSO and the Lamar Police Department reached out to the public to see if they'd seen Justice posing as a law enforcement officer. Justice was arrested for posing as an officer and according to officials, maintaining false social media accounts for a bail bond company that doesn't exist.
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