A Kern County man from Lake Isabella received a 17-month prison sentence for unlawfully distributing explosives, the U.S. Attorney's Office reports. Joseph Roy Vigneault, age 21, handed over approximately 350 pounds of a high-powered blasting agent known as Hydromite 880 to an individual without the proper licensing, contributing to his conviction.
Documents from the court reveal that in May 2023, Vigneault, alongside co-defendant Michael Roy Anglin, 22, of Wofford Heights, negotiated to sell and subsequently did deliver six full boxes and another partial one of the explosive material to the buyer. These products, labeled with warnings such as "Explosive, Blasting, Type E" and "Blasting Agent," are considered significantly more powerful than dynamite. Vigneault was aware, or should have reasonably been aware, that these explosives might have been stolen, according to statements obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The investigation turned its focus to Austin Powder West LLC, a licensed explosive distributor, which confirmed that 295 sticks of Hydromite 880 had disappeared from its Lake Isabella stockpile within the stretch from May 6 to May 11, 2023. Vigneault agreed to pay restitution, reimbursing Austin Powder the sum of $7,603 for the unrecovered explosives
Meanwhile, Vigneault's accomplice, Anglin, has entered a guilty plea and awaits his own sentencing on October 21. He could potentially face up to a decade behind bars along with a $250,000 fine. The Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which incorporate numerous variables, will play a crucial role in determining Anglin's final sentence. The investigation was a combined effort by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, with the case prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar. For further details on the case, refer to the official statement provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
