A Northern California man has held a $ 5 million bond after FBI investigators found five “fully operational” pipe bombs and an illegal supply of weapons at his home and business two weeks ago, planning to open government offices Gavin Newsom, as well as Facebook and Twitter, say prosecutors.
Ian Benjamin Rogers, 44, of Napa, California, also had a sticker on his vehicle commonly used by so-called ‘Three Percenters’, and officers carrying out search warrants also had a ‘White Privilege Card’ and several related weapons. manuals found, including some from the U.S. military, as well as ‘The Anarchist Cookbook,’ FBI investigators said.
Rogers is charged Tuesday in a federal criminal charge of possession of five pipe bombs that were unregistered destructive devices, U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson and FBI Special Agent Craig D. Fair announced in a statement Wednesday.
According to prosecutors, the charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $ 250,000.
CALIFORNIA MAN HELD ON $ 5 MILLION PAID TO FIVE PIPE BOMBS, ILLEGAL WEAPONS FOUND HOME, BUSINESS
He was arrested on January 15, the same day the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Napa County Sheriff’s Office and the Napa Special Investigations Bureau executed an investigation at his home and business in Napa County. A total of 49 firearms were seized from both places, as well as about two dozen ammunition boxes containing thousands of ammunition, authorities said.
Several of the firearms, including what appears to be a kit-manufactured replica MG-42 belt-filled machine gun, appear to be capable of firing automatically, FBI agent Stephanie Minor, assigned to the FBI’s domestic terrorism team San Francisco field. Office, written in an affidavit filed in support of the criminal charge against Rogers.
Five pipe bombs were found in a safe at Roger’s company, as well as other materials that could be used to make destructive devices, including black powder, pipes, caps and manuals, including “The Anarchist Cookbook”, the “US Army Improvised Munitions” Handbook “,” and “Homemade C-4 A Recipe for Survival,” according to the affidavit. Two copies of the “US Army Special Forces Guide to Unconventional Warfare” and a “US Army Guerrilla Warfare Handbook” were also discovered.
FBI agents found five pipe bombs in a safe at Rogers’ company. (Department of Justice)
The sticker found on Roger’s vehicle is believed to be commonly used by the so-called ‘Three Percenters’, who are ‘people attributed to extreme anti-government, pro-gun beliefs’, Minor wrote, referring to her training , experience and discussions. with other agents experienced in the investigation of domestic terrorism. Its use of ‘three percent’ is a reference to the belief that only 3% of American colonists fought against the British during the American Revolution, the statement said.
Officials also found a “White Privilege Card”, which contained the statement “Trumps Everything” and the numbers “0045” repeated four times “to make it look like a credit card number,” which according to Minor are references to former President Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States.
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In an interview after his arrest, Rogers allegedly admitted that he built the pipe bombs, but said that “it was for entertainment purposes only” – although additional evidence reads otherwise, the statement said.
Minor said text messages retrieved from Rogers’ phone allegedly showed his belief that Trump “won the presidential election in 2020, and his intention to attack Democrats and places associated with Democrats in an attempt to to ensure that Trump stays in office. “
“We can attack Twitter or the Democrats you elect,” Rogers allegedly wrote in a January 10 text message to another person, adding, “I think we can easily attack it.” The recipient suggested they go to George Soros, to which Rogers replied, “We can attack Twitter and Democrats can burn down easily now.”
Officers found a ‘White Privilege Card’ while conducting search warrants on Rogers’ home and business. (Department of Justice)
“I want to blow up a democratic building,” Rogers reportedly wrote the next day in another text message to the same person. He continues: “Let’s see what happens if I do not feed anything.”
“Democrats, Twitter, and so on,” Rogers apparently wrote, adding, “I hope 45 goes to war if he does not want to.”
His next text messages apparently made suggestions for attacks on the Democratic governor’s office in California, as well as the offices of Facebook and Twitter, which according to Northern California are located.
“Let’s see what happens when we act,” Rogers apparently wrote, adding, “I think the business office is the first target,” and “Then maybe the bird and face offices.”
Officers found a “Three Percenter” sticker on Rogers’ truck. (Department of Justice)
The affidavit concludes, “that when Rogers said, ‘the first target of the office,’ he meant that their first target should be the offices of California Governor Gavin Newsom in Sacramento.”
“I further believe that when Rogers said the ‘bird and face’ offices would be next, he meant the offices of Twitter (‘bird’) and Facebook (‘face’), because both social media platforms closed Trump’s accounts to prevent him from sending messages on those platforms, ”wrote Minor.
An investigation and tests conducted by a bomb technician from a Napa County sheriff on the five pipe bombs seized by Rogers ‘company concluded that Rogers’ built five improvised explosive devices that fully was in operation and which can cause major bodily harm or injury if handled incorrectly. ‘
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Rogers appeared in Napa County Criminal Court on charges of illegal firearms and is being arrested instead of a $ 5 million bail pending a pre-trial hearing.
Federal prosecutors plan to question Rogers’ appearance in federal court over the charges in the indictment “following the issuance of a federal order to transfer Rogers to the U.S. District Court in San Francisco,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California said in its press release Wednesday. The date of such appearance has not yet been determined.