A federal grand jury has charged two men in connection with a plot to attack the Democratic Party headquarters in Sacramento, California.
The two men, 45-year-old Ian Benjamin Rogers of Napa, California and 37-year-old Jared Copeland of Vallejo, California, have been charged with possession of machine guns, conspiracy to destroy a building used in interstate commerce with fire or explosives, and obstruction of justice, NBC News reported.
Authorities claim the pair were “specific, detailed and serious,” about their plan to attack the John L. Burton Democratic Headquarters after the 2020 presidential election, according to NBC News.
Ian Benjamin Rogers, 45, of Napa, and Jarrod Copeland, 37, of Vallejo each face multiple charges including conspiracy to destroy by fire or explosive a building used or in affecting interstate commerce, prosecutors said. https://t.co/pkdNvUBGUu
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Department of Justice officials believe the two attempted to get support from a militia group, and wanted their actions to start a movement.
“Do you think something is wrong with me how I’m excited to attack the Democrats?” Rogers reportedly asked Copeland, NBC News noted.
Copeland later told police he did not take Rogers threats seriously, and that he thought Rogers was just trying to “blow off steam,” the government’s detention memo read, according to NBC News. However, authorities believe that Copeland actually encouraged Rogers, and continued to talk about violent attacks in January, the same month Rogers was arrested. Copeland was arrested Wednesday. (RELATED: FBI Says Extremist Charged With Carrying Pipe Bombs May Have Targeted Newsom, Twitter And Facebook)
Rogers was charged in January with possession of five pipe bombs, according to NBC News.
Investigators said they found bomb-making materials like black powder, as well as explosives manuals like “The Anarchist Cookbook,” the “U.S. Army Improvised Munitions Handbook” and “Homemade C-4: A Recipe for Survival,” NBC News reported. Authorities also took almost 50 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition from his home and business.
Both Copeland and Rogers are facing conspiracy charges that carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine, NBC News claimed. Rogers’ weapons charges carry a maximum of 10 years in prison, but Copeland’s destruction of evidence charge carries a maximum 20 year sentence.