Potentially Booby-Trapped Compound Sells at Auction

Here’s one bizarre purchase you could have made for the person who has everything: 103 acres of woods in New England that are possibly booby-trapped.

The picturesque stretch of land in Plainfield, New Hampshire, once belonged to a couple named Ed and Elaine Brown, who gained notoriety in 2007 after they refused to pay the U.S. federal income tax. The government convicted the two of tax crimes, but they still wouldn’t shell out the money—or turn themselves in.

The Browns' thwarted arrest culminated in a highly publicized nine-month armed standoff against law enforcement. Eventually, agents sneaked onto their property by posing as pizza deliverymen, and the duo was arrested and jailed for at least 30 years on charges of plotting to kill federal agents.

In the past, the U.S. Marshals Service has tried to auction off the Browns' home. However, explosives and other items used by the Browns to protect their fortified compound might have been left behind on the land, Reuters reports. As anyone could imagine, this bit of information kept away potential purchasers, who weren’t allowed to inspect the property due to safety concerns.

Today, an adventurous homeowner—who, this time around, was allowed to visit the property with an IRS official—finally acquired the home and its surrounding grounds. The sale netted $205,000, which will help pay down nearly $500,000 of back taxes owed by the Browns to the government. However, there's no word on the buyer’s identity, or whether any booby traps have been found.

[h/t Reuters]