Feds: Napa man allegedly caught with pipe bombs plotted attacks, had right-wing militia ties
NAPA >> Federal prosecutors have filed charges against a Napa man who was allegedly caught with pipe bombs, and authorities say he is being investigated for possible ties to a far-right militia known as the Three Percenters.
Ian Benjamin Rogers, 43, of Napa, was charged with possessing five pipe bombs. According to the criminal complaint, authorities uncovered evidence Rogers was was researching guerrilla warfare and texted another person about plotting bombings, writing, ” we can attack Twitter or the democrats, you choose.” He also specifically mentioned targeting California Gov. Gavin Newsom, or George Soros, the complaint alleges.
In other texts, Rogers allegedly discussed going “to war” in the aftermath of Congress certifying President Joe Biden’s win on Jan. 6, despite the U.S. Capitol break-in.
“I want to blow up a democrat building bad,” Rogers allegedly texted another person on Jan. 10, according to the complaint. Other text messages allegedly said that “Democrats need to pay… Let’s see what happens, if nothing does I’m going to war.
“I hope 45 goes to war if he doesn’t I will,” Rogers allegedly wrote in another message, referring to Trump.
According to the FBI, Rogers was motivated by a desire to keep former President Donald Trump in office, based on a belief that the 2020 election results were a sham. The complaint alleges a search of his home yielded indicia tied to the Three Percenters, and a novelty credit card with the words “white privilege card” printed on it.
“Further, text messages recovered from Roger’s phone indicate his belief that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election, and his intent to attack Democrats and places associated with Democrats in an effort to ensure Trump remained in office,” FBI Agent Stephanie Minor wrote in the complaint.
During a Jan. 15 raid on Rogers’ home by federal and state authorities, 49 guns were seized, as well as thousands of rounds of ammunition. The complaint says some of the guns were built with a “kit-built MG-42 beltfed machine gun,” and authorities are still investigating whether some of the weapons constitute machine guns under the law.