Bakersfield Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Explosives and for Manufacturing Methamphetamine

FRESNO, Calif. - Matthew Henry Jacober, 44, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 5 years in prison for being a felon in possession of explosives and manufacturing crystal methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, in July 2025, Jacober possessed 50 pounds of dynamite, which he had hidden in a cave approximately 10 to 15 feet from a travel trailer where Jacober was residing. In 2021, Jacober was convicted in Kern County Superior Court of making a destructive device without a permit, a felony. As a convicted felon, Jacober was thus prohibited from possessing explosives. In addition, Jacober was in the process of manufacturing crystal methamphetamine in his trailer, where he possessed both finished product and methamphetamine in the process of changing from liquid to a crystal form. On Nov. 24, 2025, Jacober pleaded guilty to the charges that gave rise to his sentence.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kern County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad, and the Kern County Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio Pataca prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.