Improvised Explosive Device Among Items Seized from Farmville Residence by Task Force.
An ongoing investigation by the Piedmont Regional Drug and Gang Task Force resulted in the arrest of a Farmville man after the discovery of stolen items and a suspicious device inside his residence. At approximately 9 p.m., Monday, April 23, the task force members executed a search warrant at a residence in the 300 block of South Virginia Street in the town of Farmville. During the search of the residence, an improvised explosive device was located inside the home. A bomb technician with the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Appomattox Field Office responded to the residence to investigate and render safe the device.
Task force investigators also seized as evidence from the residence a small amount of marijuana, numerous assault-style rifles, body armor, ballistic helmets, and communications equipment.
Robert N. Baldwin III, 49, was taken into custody without incident. He has been charged with two counts of grand larceny, one count of possession of an explosive device and one count of possession of marijuana. He is currently being held at Piedmont Regional Jail.
The investigation remains ongoing by the Piedmont Regional Drug and Gang Task Force and additional charges are pending. The task for includes the Farmville Police Department, Longwood University Police Department, Buckingham County Sheriff's Office, Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, Prince Edward County Sheriff's Office and the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations' Appomattox Field Office.