A Kern County man has been handed a 17-month sentence for his role in distributing stolen explosives, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. On May 2023, Joseph Roy Vigneault, age 21, from Lake Isabella, sold approximately 350 pounds of the explosive called Hydromite 880 to an individual who was not licensed to handle such material.
During the transaction, Vigneault was aware, or had reason to believe that the Hydromite 880 was stolen. Furthermore, his co-defendant, Michael Roy Anglin, has already entered a guilty plea and is awaiting sentencing set for October 21. He faces a much steeper potential maximum sentence of a decade in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined after the court considers applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. These guidelines consider variables such as the nature and circumstances of the offense and the defendant’s history and characteristics.
The series of events that led to these charges began with the theft of the explosive material from Austin Powder West LLC's storage facility sometime between May 6 and May 11, 2023, as confirmed by the company. It emerged that 295 sticks of Hydromite 880, which is more potent than dynamite by one and a half times, had gone missing. The sticks, branded with warnings such as "Explosive" and "Danger," were among those sold by Vigneault. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the value of the unrecovered explosives is tallied at $7,603, with Vigneault agreeing to make restitution for that amount.
The investigation that brought Vigneault and Anglin to justice was a joint effort carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and supported by the the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is credited with prosecuting the case. While this sentencing closes one chapter, attention now turns to Anglin's forthcoming sentencing later in the year, which could yield a lengthier prison term and a significant fine, spotlighting the continuing judicial process in this explosive case.
