[CA] Kern High School District Employee Charged with Federal Explosive Offenses

A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment today against Angelo Jackson Mendiver, 26, of Bakersfield, an employee of the Kern High School District, charging him with conspiring to commit offenses against the United States; engaging in manufacturing and dealing in explosive materials; two counts of mailing an explosive device; improper storage of explosives; and making false statements to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Mendiver used an Instagram account to sell explosives and explosive materials and worked closely with a male juvenile Bakersfield high school student to fulfill transactions. A federal search warrant executed at Mendiver’s residence on June 1, 2023, resulted in the seizure of approximately 500 pounds of explosives and explosive materials. Agents seized another 500 pounds of explosives and explosive materials from the juvenile’s residence.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case.

Read more: Department of Justice