Jun. 8—A federal grand jury indicted an Arvin High School campus security guard on six charges, including conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, after authorities seized more than 500 pounds of explosives from his home and said he worked with a local high school student to make and sell the blasting agents, the U.S. Attorney's Office stated Thursday.

The boy — who was identified as M.M. in court documents and may be charged at the state level — told prosecutors Angelo Jackson Mendiver, 26, taught him about explosives. Mendiver reportedly made the chemical mixtures, sold the material through Instagram and shipped it through the United States Postal Service. More than 500 pounds of explosive material was found in the minor's home, a motion by federal prosecutors said.

Mendiver has pleaded not guilty to all charges and his defense attorney, Monica Bermudez, declined to comment on behalf of her client regarding the allegations outlined in court documents filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District. In addition to one count of conspiracy, Mendiver also faces these charges: engaging in manufacturing and dealing explosive materials, two counts of mailing an explosive device, improperly storing explosives, making false statements to FBI agents and criminal forfeiture.

It's unclear how Mendiver contacted the local student, or what high school the boy attends. Kern High School District spokeswoman Erin Briscoe-Clarke wrote in an email she doesn't have specific details about the case. Lauren Horwood, the spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District, wrote in an email she's not identifying the teen further than what's publicly available and doesn't have any more "details about the relationship with the juvenile."

The defendant was placed on administrative leave Thursday, the same day KHSD staff found out about the allegations, Briscoe-Clarke wrote. Mendiver has been working at Arvin High since August 2022, she added. Briscoe-Clarke didn't respond to an email asking if Mendiver worked at KHSD before August 2022 and, if so, in what capacity.

It's unclear what charges the teen may face.

The allegations stretch from June 2022 until June of this year, during which Mendiver reportedly messaged an unknown co-conspirator about getting potassium perchlorate, an oxidizer commonly used in fireworks, explosive primers and propellants, according to the indictment.

The co-conspirator — who hasn't been indicted or identified in court documents — told Mendiver he had 42 pounds of potassium perchlorate, the indictment stated. It added the defendant also told the co-conspirator that there's a method to make an even more powerful explosive using aluminum powder.

Mendiver also told the co-conspirator to refrain from posting videos on Instagram of him building explosives because it could attract attention from law enforcement, the indictment stated.

The defendant is also accused of showing the co-conspirator videos of himself making explosives using titanium salute and saying "homemade kills all consumer" and "homemade (expletive) is dangerous."

It's also alleged in the indictment that Mendiver improperly stored the blasting agents, such as putting hundreds of flash powder devices in cardboard tubes "connected to (a) cannon fuse and exposed flash powder stored in various unenclosed containers at his residence ..."

One package was reportedly shipped by the teen and another by Mendiver to a post office in Boise, Idaho. It had black powder consistent with flash or black powder, the indictment said.

"The explosives contained in the packages intercepted from the Boise post office posed a risk of serious bodily injury or death," the indictment added.

Mendiver told the investigating FBI agent he didn't work with anyone or sell explosives.

The Bakersfield Police Department, Kern County Sheriff's Office, USPS and the FBI all helped to investigate this case.

You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @_ishanidesai on Twitter.