A recent arrest after what appeared to be a standard traffic stop by Bell County deputies has turned out to be much more serious as area law enforcement thwarted plans of a would-be terrorist.

23-year-old Maurya Hemendra Bharwad, a citizen of India living in Bell County on an expired student visa, was charged with DUI and resisting arrest by Pineville Police while Barbourville Police charged him with menacing and disorderly conduct – 2nd degree. He was also charged with contempt of court and is being held without bond due to pending federal charges.

According to a press release from the Bell County Sheriff’s Department, Deputy/Det. Hunter Luttrell states that on January 31, Barbourville Police advised Bharwad had gone to Blue Line Tactical attempting to purchase a firearm but lied on the form and became irate with the staff, threatening them when he was told there would be a delay in the background check. After he left the store, the business operator turned the information and Bharwad’s identification to Barbourville Police, which led to a “Be-On-The-Lookout” for the man.

While sitting at a patrol location in Pineville on February 1, a vehicle matching the make and model of Bharwad’s passed Bell County Deputies Luttrell and Fuson, along with Pineville Officer Patrick Brooks, traveling northbound on Highway 25E.

Officer Brooks attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused to stop on U.S. 25E and instead turned into the Dollar General parking lot. He had to be boxed in due to aggressive driving in the lot. The driver, later identified as Bharwad, began taunting officers multiple times as if waving firearms from his window. Due to the severity of the situation, officers had to deploy non-lethal rubber rounds to break the window forcing him to exit the vehicle.

After a lengthy struggle, Bharwad was finally taken into custody. No firearm was found in his possession. He was taken to Barbourville ARH for a blood draw but refused.

Based on the behavior of Bharwad, Deputy Luttrell stated that a warrant would have to be issued to search his Bell County residence on Highway 92. Barbourville Police advised that warrants were being issued and ICE/Homeland Security would be holding him on a detainer due to being in the country illegally. A search at Bharwad’s Bell County residence revealed marijuana residue.

According to a federal indictment filed on February 27, 2025, after Bharwad was arrested, Sgt. Adam Townsley and ICE Special Agent Frank Keyton interviewed him at the Barbourville Police Department, where the interview was recorded, and Bharwad was advised of his constitutional rights and agreed to speak with the officers. Bharwad acknowledged he had a marijuana addiction and was high at the time he attempted the firearm purchase.

Also included in the indictment was that Bharwad had completed the required ATF Form 4473 at Blue Line Tactical, and produced a Kentucky operator’s license and a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) employment authorization card. All identification confirmed the identity of Maurya Bharwad. He was shown a Smith and Wesson Shield Plus 9mm handgun and inquired about the use of a high-capacity magazine for the weapon.

The business owner reported that Bharwad’s behavior changed after he was informed the purchase couldn’t be completed, to which Bharwad said he needed the firearm “no matter what the government says.” According to the indictment, Bharwad was adamant about leaving with the firearm and was holding the unloaded gun and neared the exit of the store where another employee stood between Bharwad and the door, leading both the business owner and his employee to place their hands on their concealed handguns due to the customer’s erratic behavior. The business owner retrieved the firearm and ushered Bharwad out of the business.

The ATF Form 4473 was provided to law enforcement, and it was confirmed that Bharwad is who he said he was. He is a native and citizen of India. The form inquired about drug use and addiction as part of the application process. Bharwad checked the box for “no.”

The attempted firearm purchase was not the first time Bharwad had raised suspicions. According to the indictment, Sgt. Townsley was aware that Bharwad had recently been reported for “exhibiting strange behavior at a local church.” A church member, who is also a volunteer deputy sheriff, stated to Barbourville Police it appeared Bharwad was “attempting to survey various rooms inside the church and was behaving in a strange manner,” and “appeared to be acting nervous and was fidgeting.”

Following those concerns and the incident at the firearm store, Sgt. Townsley contacted Bell County law enforcement officers to be on the lookout for Bharwad and his vehicle. At the time, Barbourville Police Department was in the process of obtaining an arrest warrant for the firearm store incident.

During his police interview, Bharwad was asked if he had “searched anything about firearms on his cell phone,” to which he said he had not. He did state, however, that he had searched for “how to make a bomb” in the past and had devised a plan “to use a bomb in the tunnels located in New York City and shut the city down.” When asked why, he stated something bad happened to him in New York, and he had thoughts in his head to commit crimes.

Additionally, Bharwad admitted his immigration status in the United States was not legal, that he was “out of status” on his student F-1 Visa, to which Special Agent Keyton confirmed to be accurate.

The federal indictment further states that Bharwad “did knowingly make a false written statement in connection with the attempted acquisition of a firearm from a licensed dealer and intended to deceive the dealer with respect to a fact material to the lawfulness of the sale of a firearm in Knox County, Kentucky.”

Bharwad remains incarcerated in the Knox County Detention Center. He was scheduled to appear in Knox County District Court on Tuesday and is due to appear on March 27, 2025 in United States District Court in London for his federal arraignment.