Burleson man faces up to 30 years in prison for possessing bomb equipment, child pornography
BURLESON (CBSNewsTexas.com) – A man who was indicted in May for possessing homemade bomb equipment has pleaded guilty to one count of possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of receipt of child pornography.
Noah Robert Calderon, 22, now faces up to 30 years in federal prison – up to 10 years on the firearm count plus between five and 20 years on the child pornography count. He will be sentenced Friday, Nov. 3 at 9 a.m.
The investigation began in October 2022, when the FBI was made aware of Snapchat images allegedly posted by Calderon.
Calderon posted images of himself in tactical-style vests, posing with AR-15-style rifles and handguns. He also shared Columbine-themed memes.
He also allegedly shared images of homemade explosives, including one with a marking on it referencing a Nazi paramilitary organization.
In March 2023, the FBI received a tip that Calderon had detonated a homemade bomb in a residential neighborhood. There were 911 calls made about a loud concussive sound and smoke.
After receiving this tip, FBI agents reviewed Calderon's Google account, finding searches for the Columbine killers, the Charleston church shooter, "pipe bomb how to make," "how to make propane bombs," and "wear [sic] were the propane bombs in Columbine," as well as searches of the names of several local public schools.
Agents also searched Calderon's e-commerce activity, revealing that he allegedly bought two pounds of potassium perchlorate, one pound of aluminum powder, and a striped fuse. In plea papers, Caldron specifically admitted to searching for bomb-making information.
"This defendant's obsession with mass shooters put him squarely on the Justice Department's radar. When he violated the law, we took immediate action, potentially thwarting an act of violence," said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. "The discovery of one crime, possession of an unregistered firearm, led to the discovery of another, possession of child pornography. We are proud to hold him accountable for both."
On April 17, 2023, agents executed a search warrant at Calderon's home in Burleson. There, they found items in the garage that could be used to make and detonate a bomb – including metal bb's, lead and 659.2 grams of explosive powder.
In his bedroom, a handwritten document labeled "manifesto" was found. Officials say it glorified the Columbine shooters and showed support for white supremacy.
A search of his phone revealed sexually explicit videos taken from a video chat between Mr. Calderon and a 13-year-old girl.
Also in plea papers, he admitted he was aware of the child's age when he saved the videos.