Eight men have been charged with terrorism-related offenses in connection with a foiled plot to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House. Authorities allege the suspects planned to kill multiple government officials, military personnel, and other high-profile attendees during the event, which was held last month on President Donald Trump’s birthday.
The group was indicted together on Thursday by a federal grand jury on federal charges of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official. The joint indictment replaces the initial criminal complaints filed across various federal districts.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the suspects planned to target the president, Vice President JD Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trillionaire Elon Musk.
When the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) first announced the foiled plot, it said multiple people were in custody, though the defendants were gradually identified.
The group allegedly planned the attack— which involved explosives and snipers—in online chat forums such as Signal, SimpleX, Discord, TikTok and Instagram.
The DOJ released the full list of suspects, including the aliases they used online:
- Tycen C. Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio, known as Prox;
- Abraham H. Alvarez, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, known as Shepherd;
- Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, of Hamilton, Missouri, known as Fulcrum;
- Bryan O. Roa, 25, of Calimesa, California, known as Noble;
- Michael A. Thomas, 32, of Pinion Hills, California, known as Whiskey Six;
- William L. S. Faulkner, 21, of Belfair, Washington, known as Pepsi;
- Jordan W. Rincker, 28, of St. Joseph, Missouri, known as Shriveled Shlong;
- Chandler D. Scaggs, 21, of Chapmanville, West Virginia, known as Viper of the S.O.G.
A criminal complaint was first filed against Proper in the Southern District of Ohio. Four others were charged by criminal complaint in Missouri, Nebraska and California and arrested the weekend of the event. The FBI later detained and charged via criminal complaint three more suspects in Washington and Missouri. The final suspect was taken into custody in West Virginia this week.
The affidavit against Proper alleged that the group planned to fly drones carrying explosives to the north side of the UFC structure called the “claw,” drawing attendees to the south, where group members would shoot into the crowd.
If convicted of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, the defendants face up to 15 years in prison. The conspiracy to commit murder chargers carry a potential maximum penalty of up to life in prison.
No comments:
Post a Comment