2 Bay Area men charged in plot to bomb Democratic headquarters in Sacramento

SACRAMENTO -- Two Bay Area men have been charged in federal court for, among other crimes, a conspiracy to bomb a Democratic Party headquarters in Sacramento following the 2020 presidential election.

According to the indictment unsealed Thursday, the two men -- Ian Benjamin Rogers, 45, of Napa, and Jarrod Copeland, 37, of Vallejo -- had accumulated five pipe bombs, thousands of rounds of ammunition and more than 45 firearms, which they allegedly planned to use in acts of violence following the Jan. 20 inauguration.

Court documents filed by federal prosecutors allege the two planned to target the Governor's Mansion and John L. Burton Democratic Headquarters in Sacramento in an attempt to start a movement to overthrow the government.

Both men have both been arrested and charged with conspiracy to destroy a building used in or affecting interstate commerce, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Rogers has additionally been charged with weapons violations under both federal and state law, while Copeland faces obstruction of justice charges for allegedly deleting incriminating communication with Rogers after Rogers was arrested.

The case is being investigated by both the FBI and the Napa County Sheriff's Office. Copeland and Rogers are scheduled to appear next in court in a detention hearing Tuesday and a July 30 status conference, respectively.