WASHINGTON (AP) — Two additional suspects have been taken into custody in connection with an alleged scheme to attack President Donald Trump’s UFC cage-fighting event held at the White House earlier this month, federal authorities announced.
Court documents indicate that law enforcement officials uncovered and shut down the plan several days before the June 14 White House gathering.
William Lee Spartacus Falkner, of Belfair, Washington, was taken into custody on Friday and faces a charge of conspiracy to commit murder, according to court documents filed Monday in the Western District of Washington. Jordan W. Rincker, 28, was arrested Sunday and is also charged with conspiracy to commit murder in the Western District of Missouri. A defense attorney assigned to represent Falkner had not responded to a request for comment, and court records show no attorney on file for Rincker. Neither man has yet entered a plea.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a statement saying, “Law enforcement continues to do what it does — move to disrupt and hold accountable those allegedly plotting to do harm on the White House Grounds on June 14.”
Authorities first learned of the potential threat on June 10 — four days before the mixed martial arts event on the White House’s South Lawn. Five individuals from Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, and California were initially taken into federal custody, the Justice Department said. Officials say the group subscribed to fringe conspiracy theories and believed their attack would destabilize the U.S. government.
The investigation was set in motion after the mother of an Ohio man called police out of concern over her son’s recent gun purchases and online activity, according to an FBI affidavit filed in the case.
That man, 19-year-old Tycen Proper, told investigators he was part of a group seeking to spark a revolution and go after government officials. According to the affidavit, the group planned to fly drones loaded with explosives into the event and then shoot at crowd members as they ran in panic. Proper faces firearms charges as well as counts including attempted murder of a U.S. government officer or employee.
Proper’s attorney, Joe Patituce, commented Monday: “Mr. Proper appreciates the serious nature of the charges currently pending against him and will address them appropriately in court at the right time. For now, we are going to move the case forward one step at a time.”
Investigators seized high-powered weapons from several suspects and reviewed encrypted messages exchanged among roughly 20 participants. Those messages included detailed maps and aerial images of the area, along with discussions about securing a safe house and planning escape routes following the intended attack.
However, court records leave it unclear just how close the group may have come to actually carrying out the plan before it was disrupted.
Several of those questioned by investigators claimed they had no personal intention of committing violence and planned only to watch. One individual said he would have attended the UFC event as a protester but had to turn back when his vehicle broke down. Additionally, while the group discussed using explosive-equipped drones, charging documents indicate they had not yet acquired such equipment when the plot was uncovered.
Prosecutors allege that Rincker distributed cash to fellow conspirators and accepted items including weapons, a 3D printer, a computer, and other goods, agreeing to manufacture drone parts. In an FBI affidavit, Rincker reportedly told an investigator that he never truly intended to build drones with the printer and simply wanted it to make and sell crafts.
According to a separate FBI affidavit, Falkner communicated with other group members about his ability to obtain and operate drones, and discussed tactics and explosives for use in the attack. After news of the disrupted plot became public, Falkner reportedly texted another member saying, “Work trip is canceled. My boss got picked up,” and shared a link to a news article covering the initial arrests.
