Investigators say they're looking for evidence, including phone records, emails, or a paper trail that could reveal whether the suspects had a terror plot.

Investigators say they searched the scene of an explosion in east Columbus Wednesday looking for evidence that could point to a terrorist plot.

The situation began just before noon on Tuesday in the 600 block of south Hampton road with a 911 call for help.

"An explosion happened. My friend is on the ground bleeding.”

Fire investigators say the explosion rocked a vacant house and sheared off the hands of 26-year-old Alphonso Mobley Jr.

Investigators say the man who called 911, Roberto Innis Jr., repeatedly insisted he had no idea what happened.

Dispatch: What exploded? Innis: I don't know, man. I don't know.

Fire and Bomb Investigators say they discovered chemicals in the house that can be used to make bombs.

Firefighters evacuated neighbors and detonated the volatile powders. The detonation started a fire that sent dark smoke pouring into the sky.

A team of investigators returned this morning with an explosive sniffing dog and carefully searching the charred house and the detached garage.

Investigators also searched the home of a family member directly across the street taking boxes and bags of possible evidence.

Fire investigators say they believe Mobley and Innis share the sovereign citizen ideology and don’t recognize the authority of the U.S. government.

Investigators say they're looking for evidence, including phone records, emails, or a paper trail that could reveal whether the suspects had a terror plot.

26-year-old Alphonso Mobley Jr. (left) and Roberto Innis Jr. have both been charged with manufacturing of an dangerous ordnance (explosive device.)





"We're still investigating what they did and didn't know, how long they've been doing this, what their training is and their background, and obviously what their future plots were,” Columbus Fire Investigator Matt Staker said.

Neighbors on South Hampton say they can't believe what they're seeing.

"I'm still in shock. That's the best way to describe it,” Paula Jones said. “Who knows what could have happened.”

Jones says she knew Mobley when he was a teenager and describes him as a nice kid who never got into trouble.

Investigators say they suspect both men share the sovereign citizen ideology, but Jones says she remembers Mobley as a nice kid who was never a troublemaker.

"I would have never guessed in a million years that he would have done something like that,” Jones said.

Mobley and Innis are both facing felony charges for manufacturing a dangerous ordinance.

Investigators say they haven’t been able to talk to Mobley because he’s hospitalized with serious injuries.

The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force is also playing a role in the investigation.

Ties to sovereign citizen movement

Alphonso Mobley, Jr. also declared himself a believer in the Sovereign Citizen movement a few weeks ago. Adherents of the anti-government ideology usually believe that federal and state elected and appointed officials have no authority over individuals.

Mobley faces separate charges of felony breaking and entering from last September. Freed without having to pay bail, Mobley filed paperwork seeking to have the case against him thrown out.

Mobley wrote in a court motion, “I am not the same as Fictitious Entity; all capital letters named ALPHONSO D MOBLEY JR. that was created by the STATE through deception, trickery, malice, and repugnance, without my authorization and consent.”

Mobley further claimed the state and county owed him up to $30 million. He demanded payment in silver coins.

"By definition, they're pretty much loners to some extent. We don't see - there's not a resurgence of them, or anything like that. But we do see them come up here. They sort of fly under the radar," said Franklin County Sheriff's Chief Investigator Rick Minerd.

Minerd advised neighbors to be vigilant about their surroundings, “Changes in behavior, strange smells, things around the house that stand out - that look abnormal, we'd ask those folks to reach out to us and let us take a look at that. “

Roberto Innis ,the other alleged bombmaker, had fewer run-ins with law enforcement. He was ticketed this March for not having a driver’s license or vehicle tags. Many sovereign citizens claim they don't need government-issued licenses to drive.