Homemade explosive found inside Hermitage home

Metro police arrested an area felon Tuesday night after authorities found a homemade explosive and a stash of marijuana inside his Hermitage home during a routine probation check.

Corbett Lee Newman, a 30-year-old man with a history of drug-related convictions, now faces charges of being a felon in possession of a handgun and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver following the bust at his home in the 880 block of Bishopsgate Road, according to an arrest warrant.

The discovery came when members of the crime suppression unit and gang unit accompanied a probation officer to Newman's home to check on him and conduct a routine search.

When officers arrived they smelled marijuana and Newman admitted he had four pounds of marijuana in the basement, according to the warrant.

As police searched the home they found four bags of marijuana — each bag weighing one pound, the warrant continues. They also found a Coke bottle with liquid and nails inside of it in a back bedroom.

The bomb squad responded to the scene and told officers the items appeared to be an attempt to construct a homemade explosive.

Officers also reportedly found two loaded guns — a .38 revolver and 9 mm handgun — inside the home.

According to the warrant, Newman denied ownership of the weapons.

At the time of his arrest, Newman was on probation stemming from a October 2014 conviction of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and evading arrest in a motor vehicle in Davidson County.

A Davidson County jail deputy said Newman was being held on $75,000 bail on Wednesday and that he is due in court Thursday for his first court appearance on the matter.

Reach Natalie Alund at nalund@tennessean and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.