Would-Be Napa Bomb Maker Sentenced Again

NAPA VALLEY, CA — A judge sentenced a Napa man — who previously served prison time for having explosives, meth, heroin, and a machine gun — to a split four-year sentence for possessing materials to make explosive devices.

A judge sentenced Justin Chapman Fisher, 32, on Oct. 10 to three years in jail and one year of mandatory supervision. He will serve the jail sentence at the Napa County Department of Corrections.

A Napa jury convicted Fisher in August of felony possession of materials with the intent of making an explosive device and conspiracy to commit a crime, authorities said. Fisher's request to avoid prosecution by participating in mental health treatment was denied.

The verdict marked Fisher’s second conviction of felony charges linked to explosive devices, according to the Napa County District Attorney's Office.

A Napa Superior Court judge in March 2020 found Fisher guilty of five felony counts related to the possession of an explosive device, methamphetamine, heroin, and the transportation of a machine gun. He was released in 2024 and went to work as a lab manager at a local business, before his job was terminated.

The business later discovered that Fisher had purchased several chemicals with the company credit card that were not needed for normal business operations, according to court records.

When Napa County Sheriff’s deputies searched Fisher’s Napa home and a storage unit, they found instructions on how to make explosives, chemicals, and other supplies that the district attorney's office said could be used to make improvised explosive devices, as well as items that could be used as shrapnel, such as screws, nuts, and bolts. While the chemicals are legal to possess, they are considered chemical precursors used in the manufacture of explosives, authorities said.

Read More: Napa Man Convicted For Possessing Explosive Materials Previously Served Time For Having Pipe Bombs