MEDFORD, OR – Gregory Lee Rodvelt, 71, of Williams, Oregon, is facing a lengthy federal prison sentence after a jury convicted him of assaulting a federal officer and using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. The charges stem from a calculated and dangerous scheme to boobytrap his former property, triggering an explosion that injured an FBI bomb technician in September 2018.
Rodvelt lost the property in a lawsuit and, enraged, turned it into a lethal obstacle course. When federal agents arrived to assess the property for sale, they found a minivan blocking access, rigged with steel animal traps under the hood and affixed to gate posts. Homemade spike strips littered the driveway, and a hot tub had been intentionally modified into a potential weapon. Barred windows and reinforced security doors only hinted at the danger within.
The real trap activated when officers breached the front door. A wheelchair, strategically positioned, triggered a homemade shotgun device, sending shrapnel and force directly into an FBI bomb technician. The agent sustained injuries, the extent of which have not been publicly disclosed, but requiring immediate medical attention. The scene was immediately secured, and a full investigation launched by the FBI, with support from the Oregon State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Prosecutors Judith R. Harper and Jeffrey S. Sweet presented evidence demonstrating Rodvelt’s deliberate and malicious intent. The defense attempted to portray the traps as security measures, a claim the jury clearly rejected. Evidence showed Rodvelt was aware of the impending arrival of law enforcement and specifically designed the traps to inflict harm. The rigged hot tub, the strategically placed animal traps, and the modified rat trap connected to the garage door all pointed to a calculated effort to injure anyone entering the property.
Rodvelt now faces up to 20 years in federal prison for assaulting a federal officer. However, the charge of using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence carries the potential for a life sentence. U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane will determine the final sentence at a later date. This case underscores the escalating danger faced by federal agents executing court orders and the severe consequences for those who choose to resist with violence.
The feds are sending a clear message: obstructing justice with lethal force won’t be tolerated. Rodvelt’s actions weren’t about property rights; they were about inflicting harm on those enforcing the law. The investigation revealed a man consumed by anger and willing to risk the lives of others to settle a score. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing.
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