A California man allegedly built pipe bombs and threatened to “go to war” against Democrats over former President Donald Trump’s election loss, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Ian Benjamin Rogers, 43, was arrested on Jan. 15 as officers seized at least 49 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition and five “fully operational” pipe bombs from his Napa County home and business, according to an FBI affidavit in the case.
Rogers, who owns an auto repair shop, maintained that the explosives he built “were for entertainment purposes only,” according to the court document.
However, text messages found on his phone showed “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.”
“I want to blow up a democrat building bad,” Rogers allegedly wrote in one of the missives.
“Let’s see what happens, if nothing does I’m going to war,” said another.
“We can attack Twitter or the democrats you pick.”
Five pipe bombs were found in Ian Benjamin Rogers’ home. US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HANDOUTAnother text said “thinking sac office first target,” which investigators interpreted as meaning the offices of Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom in Sacramento.
Authorities said Rogers also owned a mock credit card that said “White Privilege Card” and “Trumps everything” with the number “0045” repeated four times as a nod to Trump being the 45th president.
On Rogers’ vehicle, officers found a sticker from the “Three Percenters,” which the FBI described as a group “who ascribe to extreme anti-government, pro-gun beliefs.”
Authorities said Rogers had a stockpile of materials that could have been used to make more bombs and manuals including “The Anarchist Cookbook,” “US Army Improvised Munitions Handbook and “Homemade C-4 A Recipe for Survival.”
A ‘White Privilege Card’ police found at the home of Ian Benjamin Rogers. US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HANDOUTAmong his arsenal was also a replica MG-42, a weapon used by Nazis during World War II, the FBI said.
“Rogers possessed homemade pipe bombs and the materials to make more,” said US Attorney David L. Anderson for the Northern District of California.
“We draw a bright line between lawlessness and our constitutional freedoms. We will prosecute illegal weapons stockpiles regardless of the motivation of the offender.”
When prosecutors filed the federal cases, Rogers was being held on $5 million bail on state illegal firearms charges.
He now also faces federal charges of unlawful possession of unregistered destructive devices.
A logo on Ian Benjamin Rogers’ vehicle for the ‘Three-Percenters,’ an anti-government militia group. US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HANDOUTHis attorney, Jess Raphael, told the San Francisco Chronicle that Rogers was full of “bluster and bandwagoning” following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and had an “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.”
