An Isle of Wight County man faces a federal weapons charge after authorities swarmed his home on Foursquare Road following a nearly two-year investigation by the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Brad Kenneth Spafford, 36, is charged with violating the National Firearms Act by possessing a short barrel rifle, according to a criminal complaint and supporting documents filed Dec. 10 in U.S. District Court for Eastern Virginia.

“I can confirm the FBI is present in Smithfield … along Foursquare Road conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity,” a spokesperson in the FBI’s Norfolk office told The Smithfield Times late on the afternoon of Dec. 18. “Because this is an ongoing matter, I have no further information to provide at this time. However, I can assure nearby residents that the ongoing activity poses no threat to public safety.”

At 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, a helicopter, ambulance and Smithfield fire truck remained on the scene at 14151 Foursquare Road after a much heavier presence overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday morning.

According to an affidavit supporting the criminal complaint, Spafford told a confidential informant that he was stockpiling weapons and homemade ammunition.

The informant told a member of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force that “Spafford and his friends are preparing for something that Spafford would not be able to do alone,” according to the affidavit. Spafford allegedly told the informant that he was making 50 rounds of ammunition per day.

The informant also told authorities that Spafford had created a “go box” for the back of his vehicle. The affidavit defines a “go box” as a “box or bag that has been modified with medical supplies, weapons, ammunition, food and water in the event one needs to act fast to a situation because it is staged for quick access and movement.” Spafford allegedly sent the informant photos showing several rifles, including the illegal short barrel rifle, ammunition, medical kits, Tyvek suits, food, water and other weapons inside the “go box.” A Tyvek suit is a disposable, one-piece garment made of fibers that protect the wearer from hazardous substances.

Federal law defines a short barrel as less than 16 inches long. The affidavit says the barrel of the rifle allegedly possessed by Spafford was about 10 inches. Short barrel rifles are easier to maneuver than longer-barreled rifles, especially in confined spaces, and have increased recoil and muzzle blast.

Isle of Wight County tax records list Spafford as one of the 12.7-acre property’s owners since purchasing it on Oct. 2. He was booked at the Western Tidewater Regional Jail in Suffolk at 8:04 p.m. Dec. 17, according to jail records.

Capt. Tommy Potter told the Times that the Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office was not involved in the operation.

Spafford graduated from Isle of Wight Academy in 2006.