A New York man faces charges Wednesday over building a 200-pound bomb, which authorities said he planned to use to blow himself up in Washington on Election Day, according to the Associated Press.

The FBI allegedly found a functional bomb in Paul Rosenfeld's basement in a Tuesday raid, according to court documents.

The AP reported prosecutors say he planned to detonate the bomb on the National Mall to draw attention to a political system in which officials are chosen at random, called sortation.

"Rosenfeld concocted a twisted plan to draw attention to his political ideology by killing himself on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. — risking harm to many others in the process," U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said in a statement, reported by LoHud.com. "Rosenfeld’s alleged plan for an Election Day detonation cut against our democratic principles."

The 56-year-old reportedly told agents he ordered large quantities of black powder over the Internet, and used approximately 8 pounds to make a large bomb in the basement of his home, per LoHud. He reportedly told agents he had previously built smaller bombs and had conducted test detonations.

Prosecutors charged Rosenfeld with unlawfully manufacturing a destructive device and interstate transportation and receipt of an explosive, according to the AP.