California federal prosecutors said on Wednesday that a man found with bombs and ammunition may have targeted the Gov. Gavin Newsom
Gavin NewsomFBI Says California Extremist May Have Targeted Newsom The Hill’s Morning Report and the Facebook and Twitter offices in the wake of the social media platforms that ban old accounts President Trump
Donald TrumpFBI says California extremists may have targeted the Newsom House Democrat in a resolution to expel Marjorie Taylor Greene from Congress Facebook to reduce political content on the MORE platform.
Prosecutors said Ian Benjamin Rogers was charged on Tuesday after he was found with five bombs and other weapons after authorities searched his company on January 15. He had 49 weapons along with thousands of rounds of ammunition, according the criminal complaint.
Rogers said the tubular bombs were for entertainment purposes only and were not intended to be used against anyone.
But the messages found on Rogers’ phone showed possible threats against social media groups Twitter and Facebook, along with threats against Newsom.
“We can attack Twitter or the Democrats of your choice” and “We can attack Twitter and the Democrats with ease now that they are destroyed,” Rogers told a friend. He said “sac office” would be the first target, presumably a reference to Newsom’s Sacramento office.
A Newsom spokeswoman told the Los Angeles Times that the governor is aware of the arrest and is working with the authorities on the investigation.
Rogers now faces charges of illegal possession of unregistered destructive devices. The charges carry a 10-year prison sentence and a $ 250,000 fine.
Rogers also had a “Three percent” sticker on his vehicle, a pro-weapons and anti-government group. A “White Privilege Card” for Rogers was also found by the authorities.
“I know that many anti-government extremist militias are populated by white supremacists,” Stephanie Minor, 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 Facebook and Twitter offices because both social media platforms permanently suspended Trump accounts after the January 6 Capitol riot by a pro-Trump crowd.