Kenneth William Kirkland, 48, of California City, is headed to federal prison for nearly five years after being caught stockpiling weapons, detonators, and a half-built bomb under his bed. The grim discovery at his home in October 2015 exposed a cache of lethal hardware that prompted a full bomb squad response and landed Kirkland with a 57-month federal sentence.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd handed down the punishment for four felony counts: being a felon in possession of firearms, a destructive device, and explosives, plus possession of an unregistered destructive device. The conviction followed a three-day trial in September 2016 that laid bare Kirkland’s dangerous arsenal and his blatant disregard for federal law.
It began when California City Police raided Kirkland’s residence on a search warrant. Inside, they found a loaded 5.56-caliber assault rifle with a high-capacity magazine and a round chambered, alongside a 7.62 x 54R-caliber rifle. But it was what came next that turned a routine search into a scene from a terror probe: a yellow metal container stuffed with detonators.
That find triggered an immediate call to the Kern County Sheriff’s bomb squad. Responders uncovered sticks of dynamite and, beneath Kirkland’s bed, a partially assembled improvised explosive device (IED) packed inside a shoebox. A second shoebox held electrical wiring and components. Investigators confirmed that inserting batteries or connecting wires would have activated the device—making it a functional bomb.
Kirkland’s criminal history sealed his fate. A 1993 Kern County burglary conviction stripped him of the right to own any firearms or ammunition—let alone military-grade explosives. Yet he built a personal war chest years later, brazenly amassing tools of destruction in a residential home.
The case was jointly investigated by the FBI, ATF, California City Police, and Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela L. Scott and Christopher Baker led the prosecution, ensuring Kirkland’s weapons obsession ended behind bars—not in the streets.
Related Federal Cases
- David Michael Ansberry Arrested in CO Bomb Case · Illinois
- David Michael Ansberry Indicted in Bomb Plot · Colorado
- Marquez Jeter Cops Heat for 15-Gun Machine Gun Deal · California
- Roseville Gun Dealer Used Cops’ IDs to Push Illegal Firearms · Arizona
- Felony Firearm Possession Nets 39-Year-Old Camarillo Man 10-Year Sentence · Nevada
Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
