Man Arrested in Alleged Plot to Bomb Oil Refinery

FBI agents arrested a Torrance man Thursday who allegedly had threatened to shoot co-workers at the Chevron oil refinery in El Segundo and then blow up the plant.

Ronald Denton, 37, who was angry that Latinos had been promoted ahead of him, had “the desire, the ability and the ‘coldblooded intent’ to carry out his threats,” according to a company psychologist quoted in a U.S. attorney’s affidavit.

In Denton’s home, agents found an assault rifle, armor-piercing cartridges, a manual on how to remain a fugitive and a booklet on explosives, said Cheryl Mimura, a spokeswoman for the FBI in Los Angeles.

Denton, a Chevron employee for 14 years, was arrested at his home without incident shortly after 6 a.m., Mimura said. He has been on paid disability for two years because of stress, she said.

Federal agents began investigating Denton last December after two Chevron psychologists told company officials he had threatened to blow up the crude oil refinery unless he was paid $2 million to settle his disability claim, Mimura said.

Denton’s paid disability leave and company-paid psychological therapies ended March 11 after he refused a large severance benefit to resign, according to a U.S. attorney’s affidavit.

Denton’s attorney, Jim Hodges of Long Beach, said Denton filed a lawsuit last June alleging, among other things, that he was unfairly passed over for promotions in favor of Latino candidates.

“His boss was Hispanic, and he felt Hispanics that came in with less seniority than him were treated better than him,” Hodges said.

Hodges claimed Chevron psychologists violated doctor-patient privileges by reporting what Denton allegedly said during confidential therapy sessions. The attorney also denied that his client made threats.

FBI officials said the first psychologist Denton met with disclosed the contents of their sessions only after getting permission from Denton.

A woman who said she has lived with Denton for 10 years and declined to be identified said Denton “is not some terrorist. This is ridiculous and completely untrue.”

She said the arrest “totally came out of the blue.”

“I came down the stairs, and there were men pointing guns with little red lights and holding shields,” the woman said.

Denton has been charged with interfering with interstate commerce through threats, threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction and mailing threatening communications. He is scheduled to be arraigned Monday.

The El Segundo Chevron refinery makes jet fuel that is used by planes at Los Angeles International Airport, Chevron officials said.

“We feel a potentially significant workplace tragedy was prevented,” said FBI Assistant Director James V. DeSarno Jr.