Federal prosecutors in California said Wednesday that a man found with pipe bombs and ammunition may have been the target of Gov. Gavin Newsom
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Prosecutors said Ian Benjamin Rogers was indicted after him on Tuesday was found with five pipe bombs and other weapons after authorities searched his company on January 15. He had 49 guns and thousands of ammunition, according to the criminal complaint.
Rogers claimed the pipe bombs were for entertainment purposes only and were not intended to be used against anyone.
But messages were found on Rogers’ phone showing potential threats against social media groups Twitter and Facebook, along with threats against Newsom.
“We can attack Twitter or the Democrats you choose” and “We can attack Twitter and Democrats easily now that they’re burning down,” Rogers told a friend. He claimed the “sac office” would be the first target, a reference to Newsom’s Sacramento office.
A Newsom spokeswoman told the Los Angeles Times the governor is aware of the arrest and cooperates with authorities in the investigation.
Rogers is now charged with unlawful possession of unregistered destructive devices. The charges include a 10-year prison sentence and a $ 250,000 fine.
Rogers also had a “Three-Percenters” sticker on his vehicle, a pro-gun and anti-government group. Authorities also found a “White Privilege Card” for Rogers.
“I know that many extreme anti-government militias are populated by white supremacists,” Stephanie Minor, a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigations, said in the complaint.
Minor wrote in the complaint that he believed Rogers was also targeting the offices of Facebook and Twitter, as both social media platforms had permanently suspended Trump’s accounts in the wake of the January 6 riot at the Capitol by a pro-Trump. -crowd.