SALEM — A Haverhill man pleaded guilty today in Essex County Superior Court to building an incendiary device and illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, according to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.
David Farnsworth, 64, was sentenced to two and a half years and one day in state prison, followed by three years of probation, during which he must undergo mental health evaluation and treatment. As part of his probation conditions, Farnsworth is prohibited from possessing firearms, incendiary devices, or any components used to make them.
According to a statement from District Attorney Paul Tucker’s office, Assistant District Attorney Maria Markos told the court that Farnsworth constructed an incendiary device at his Rosebud Avenue home in Haverhill that, if detonated, could have impacted anyone within a 300-meter radius.
The charges stem from a June 28, 2024, incident in which Haverhill Police responded to a report that Farnsworth had made statements about building a bomb to kill himself and others. The device, he reportedly said, was ready to go off with minimal movement.
Police evacuated surrounding homes while the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad assisted in the response. Investigators discovered the explosive device, related materials, and what Markos described as a “recipe” for a bomb in Farnsworth’s residence. Farnsworth was initially arraigned in Haverhill District Court and held on dangerousness.
In Essex County Superior Court today, he pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing an incendiary device, carrying a firearm without a license, possessing a large-capacity firearm, carrying a firearm without a firearm identification card, and possessing ammunition without a firearm identification card.
Prosecutors said one of the firearms charges stemmed from a same-day stop in Wrentham, where Farnsworth was found carrying a firearm without a valid license.
Farnsworth was represented by attorney Carmine Lepore. Judge Thomas Drechsler presided over the case today.
