Authorities said a Southern Oregon man was convicted of several felonies after a boobytrap in his home went off and shot an FBI bomb specialist.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, in September 2018, Oregon State Police and the FBI went to a home previously owned by Gregory Lee Rodvelt, 71.
Rodvelt had boobytrapped the home after learning that someone had been chosen to sell it, according to court documents.
When bomb technicians arrived to the property, they discovered a minivan blocking the entrance with steel animal traps mounted to a gate post and beneath the vehicle’s hood.
They also discovered that the gate was constructed such that when it was opened, a hot tub would roll toward the person who had unlocked it.
The house had been barricaded from the inside, with security doors at the front and back entrances and visible bullet holes in the front door.
The technicians said they discovered a rat trap adapted to discharge a shotgun shell and set to go off when the garage door opened in the house’s garage.
Agents used an explosive charge to breach the front door, and when they entered, they discovered a wheelchair in the center of the foyer.
When the wheelchair was bumped, a handmade shotgun fired, striking one of the technicians in the leg.
Rodvelt was found guilty on June 2 of assaulting a federal officer and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a violent crime, all of which are punishable by up to 20 years and life in prison, respectively.
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