A California man who allegedly threatened to “go to war” over former president Donald Trump’s election loss has been charged with the possession of five pipe bombs, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Ian Benjamin Rogers, 43, was arrested on Jan. 15, when officers seized some 49 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition and five “fully operational” pipe bombs from his Napa County home and business, an FBI affidavit shows.
(US Department of Justice handout)
Rogers, who owns an auto repair shop, claimed he built the bombs “for entertainment,” according to the court document.
However, text messages found on his phone allegedly indicate that he believed Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election and planned to harm Democrats to ensure the now former president remained in office.
“We can attack Twitter or the democrats you pick,” Rogers allegedly wrote in one message, according to Law & Crime. “I think we can attack either easily.”
“Let’s see what happens, if nothing does I’m going to war,” read another.
In yet another message exchange, Rogers allegedly wrote, “I want to blow up a democrat building bad,” later adding “thinking sac office first target” – a reference, investigators believe, to the offices of Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom in Sacramento.
Authorities said Rogers owned a “White Privilege Card”, a mock credit card which reads “Trumps everything” and has the digits “0045” repeated four times – a reference to his status as 45th president.
(US Department of Justice handout)
Officers also found a sticker on Rogers’ vehicle from the “Three Percenters,” a militia group known for its extreme anti-government, pro-gun beliefs.
(US Department of Justice handout)
Even more alarmingly, the raid uncovered a stockpile of bomb-making materials, as well as manuals detailing how to build explosives, including The Anarchist Cookbook, the U.S. Army Improvised Munitions Handbook, and Homemade C-4: A Recipe for Survival.
Rogers’ arsenal included a replica MG-42, a machine gun used by Nazi Germany during World War II, the FBI said.
“We allege that Ian Benjamin Rogers possessed homemade pipe bombs and the materials to make more,” US Attorney David Anderson said in Wednesday’s press release. “We will prosecute illegal weapons stockpiles regardless of the motivation of the offender.”
The Napa County District Attorney’s Office filed 28 felony charges against Rogers last week for possessing illegal firearms and bombs, the Napa Valley Register reported.
He is being held on $5 million bail, and is set to enter a plea to the current charges Friday, while attempting to have his bail reduced.
He also faces federal charges for unlawful possession of unregistered destructive devices.
Rogers’ attorney, Jess Raphael, told the San Francisco Chronicle that his client was full of “bluster and bandwagoning” in the wake of the deadly Capitol riot and had been battling a personal alcohol problem, but was not dangerous.
“He’s a real adherent of President Trump. He’s a true believer,” Raphael told the newspaper.
“When President Trump says they stole the election, he says they stole the election. Basically, whatever the president said, he parroted.”