Mark Charles Barnett Charged With Bomb Plot Against Target Stores

Mark Charles Barnett, 48, of Ocala, Florida, is behind bars on federal charges after allegedly plotting a coordinated bomb campaign against Target stores up and down the East Coast. Barnett was charged with possession of a firearm (destructive device) affecting commerce by a previously convicted felon, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He remains jailed in the Marion County Jail on unrelated state charges for violating probation.

According to a sworn affidavit, Barnett offered a confidential source $10,000 to plant improvised explosive devices inside Target retail locations stretching from New York to Florida. On February 9, 2017, he delivered at least 10 homemade bombs—camouflaged in food packaging—to the source, along with gloves, a mask, and a license plate cover to avoid detection. His motive, investigators say, was financial: Barnett believed the attacks would crash Target’s stock price, allowing him to buy shares cheap before a rebound.

The explosive devices, examined by an ATF explosives expert, were deemed capable of causing serious property damage, injury, or death if detonated. Instead of carrying out the plot, the confidential source turned over the devices to law enforcement, halting what could have become a deadly spree. Federal agents later searched Barnett’s Ocala residence and found materials consistent with the construction of the improvised explosives.

“The swift work of ATF Special Agents, Explosives Enforcement Officers, and other specialized violent crime resources foiled this individual’s plot that could have caused great harm to the public,” said Special Agent in Charge Daryl McCrary of the ATF Tampa Field Division. “Our Federal and State law enforcement partners played a vital role in supporting this investigation, and ATF will continue to work alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring this case to a successful resolution.”

FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen confirmed that once his agency received the tip, they launched an immediate investigation and quickly engaged local, state, and federal partners. “The arrest in this case demonstrates the importance of collaboration in keeping our communities safe,” Swearingen said. FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Charles P. Spencer echoed the sentiment, stating, “The cooperation between the local, state and federal law enforcement agencies involved in this case was instrumental to quickly identifying this individual and resolving any potential threat to the public.”

The case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Department of Corrections – Probation and Parole Services, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Ocala Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr. is prosecuting. A criminal complaint is not a conviction—Barnett is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.