Napa Businessman Found With Stockpile Of Illegal Weapons: Sheriff

NAPA, CA — A Napa businessman is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday on several weapons-related charges, the Napa County Sheriff's Office said.

Ian Benjamin Rogers, a Napa resident who owns a business in the 1600 block of Action Avenue in Napa, was arrested Friday on suspicion of possession of illegal assault rifles, automatic weapons and explosives, sheriff's officials said in a news release.

Rogers, 44, was booked at the Napa County Department of Corrections and was being held in lieu of $5 million bail, according to Napa County Sheriff's Office Spokesman Henry Wofford.

"The Sheriff’s Office obtained search warrants for Mr. Rogers home and business after receiving a tip that he possessed several illegal guns," Wofford said in the news release. "During the searches at the home and business, investigators found more than 50 guns (several unregistered and/or illegal), more than 15 thousand rounds of ammunition, and several pounds of gun powder.

Additionally, the Napa County Sheriff's Bomb Squad found five pipe bombs inside a safe at Rogers's business and later rendered the five devices safe, Wofford sid.

Rogers was initially contacted and detained Friday morning by sheriff's deputies so that he could be interviewed by sheriff's detectives.

Eventually, at 3 p.m. Friday, Rogers was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of five felony counts in connection with the suspected possession of a destructive device, suspected possession of an assault weapon, suspected possession of a machine gun and suspected conversion of a weapon into a machine gun; and one misdemeanor count for suspected possession of explosives.

Napa County sheriff's detectives said they would be sharing the evidence with federal and state authorities because of the nature of the charges, Wofford said.

Authorities did not disclose the name of Rogers's business and did not say whether he had any suspected plans for using the weapons or explosives.