40-year-old Nicolai Howard Mork was free on bail of $220,000 from an arrest last December on firearms and explosives charges. Authorities now state the Las Vegas resident was again arrested late on Wednesday on further charges, including terrorism and the possession of weapons of mass destruction. According to Sgt. Jeff Clark, police evacuated several nearby homes before arresting Mork at his Las Vegas home. Clark said the evacuations were a precautionary move due to the nature of the charges.

Powerful enough to blow up a military tank

Mork’s lawyer, Nicholas Woolridge, was reportedly shocked at the new charges laid against his client, an MIT theoretical mathematics graduate, by the Nevada court.

ABC News reports that when Mork was first arrested the charges involved his possession of illegal explosives, along with a gun with the serial number removed and a silencer. According to his lawyer, the explosives were legally obtained to be utilized during shooting practice as explosive targets. According to Woolridge, devices similar to these are available commercially and not illegal.

However, according to Chris Jones, the Las Vegas Deputy Police Chief, it was the way in which Mork was using the materials that was of concern. He said the substances can be used to manufacture dangerous explosive devices. According to a report by the Las Vegas Review-Journal Jacob Villani, the Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney said the substances were capable of penetrating a military tank.

Villani also said Mork was linked to around eight Molotov cocktails which had been discovered near what seemed to be random homes in the neighborhood where he resided.

Explosions in Las Vegas neighborhoods prompted arrest

According to Jones, who is in charge of the LVPD’s Homeland Security Unit, the latest investigation was launched after there were a number of explosions Las Vegas neighborhoods close to Mork's residence.

Neighbors had complained to the police about property damage. Jones added they found devices that had exploded, and others that were unexploded, and it was clear they were not utilized in a legal manner. Due to the serious nature of the charges, Judge Douglas Herndon stated on Wednesday that it will be necessary for Mork to reveal the sources of any money used to pay his bail which is set at $8 million.