By Steve Neavling
Gregory Lee Rodvelt was sentenced to 150 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.
“Fueled by anger and bitterness, this defendant boobytrapped a property in southern Oregon with intent to seriously injure someone. Unfortunately, his trap worked, and he injured an FBI bomb technician,” Nathan J. Lichvarcik, chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eugene and Medford branch offices, said in a statement. “We are fortunate Greg Rodvelt’s actions did not kill a law enforcement officer or community member. Today’s sentence is a just punishment for a serious crime.”
Prosecutors say Rodvelt placed elaborate traps around his home in Williams to prevent authorities from removing him from his property, which he lost in an elder abuse case.
The traps included homemade spike strips in his driveway, a wheelchair in the entryway and a rat trap that were both rigged to fire shotgun shells, and steel animal traps affixed to a gate post.
The rigged wheelchair fired a shotgun shell and injured bomb technician Andrew Sellers.
A jury found Rodvelt guilty in June of assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon and using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
“This individual went through great efforts to set intricate and deadly concealed traps to prevent FBI agents from doing their job. These were no joke,” Kieran L. Ramsey, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Portland Field Office. “Mr. Rodvelt knew he was breaking the law and his reprehensible actions are what landed him this sentence. We are thankful that our agent and other law enforcement officers survived this vicious attempt and we are thankful for our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their diligent work in bringing justice to this case.”
