FBI arrests 5 neo-Nazi Atomwaffen members for threats, swatting, gun charges

[essentialsaltes]

Five “racially motivated violent extremists” with ties to the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen, including its current leader, have been arrested by the FBI, the Justice Department said Wednesday.

Of those, four were charged in the U.S. District Court in Seattle for allegedly sending racist and anti-Semitic threats to journalists and activists around the country and the fifth was charged in Virginia for his alleged participation in a swatting campaign.

Cole, the current leader of the racist group, was also wanted by local authorities who issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of possessing firearms in violation of an extreme risk protection order.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Eastern District of Virginia’s U.S. Attorney’s office announced the arrest of John Cameron Denton, 26, the former leader of Atomwaffen, who goes by “Rape,” for his alleged involvement in swatting a historically black church, investigative journalists, and a Cabinet official.

 

[grasping the after wind]

Five “racially motivated violent extremists” with ties to the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen, including its current leader, have been arrested by the FBI, the Justice Department said Wednesday.

Of those, four were charged in the U.S. District Court in Seattle for allegedly sending racist and anti-Semitic threats to journalists and activists around the country and the fifth was charged in Virginia for his alleged participation in a swatting campaign.

Cole, the current leader of the racist group, was also wanted by local authorities who issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of possessing firearms in violation of an extreme risk protection order.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Eastern District of Virginia’s U.S. Attorney’s office announced the arrest of John Cameron Denton, 26, the former leader of Atomwaffen, who goes by “Rape,” for his alleged involvement in swatting a historically black church, investigative journalists, and a Cabinet official.

Well, good work by the authorities. Never heard the term "swatting" before, what is swatting?

 

[essentialsaltes]

Well, good work by the authorities. Never heard the term "swatting" before, what is swatting?

Swatting is a criminal harassment tactic of deceiving an emergency service (via such means as hoaxing an emergency services dispatcher) into sending a police and emergency service response team to another person's address. This is triggered by false reporting of a serious law enforcement emergency, such as a bomb threat, murder, hostage situation, or a false report of a "mental health" emergency, such as reporting that a person is allegedly suicidal or homicidal and may or may not be armed.[3]

The term derives from the law enforcement unit "SWAT" (special weapons and tactics), a specialized type of police unit in many countries, carrying military-style equipment such as door breaching weapons, submachine guns, automatic rifles, and sniper rifles.

 

[grasping the after wind]

Swatting is a criminal harassment tactic of deceiving an emergency service (via such means as hoaxing an emergency services dispatcher) into sending a police and emergency service response team to another person's address. This is triggered by false reporting of a serious law enforcement emergency, such as a bomb threat, murder, hostage situation, or a false report of a "mental health" emergency, such as reporting that a person is allegedly suicidal or homicidal and may or may not be armed.[3]

The term derives from the law enforcement unit "SWAT" (special weapons and tactics), a specialized type of police unit in many countries, carrying military-style equipment such as door breaching weapons, submachine guns, automatic rifles, and sniper rifles.

Thanks for the info.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Of those, four were charged in the U.S. District Court in Seattle for allegedly sending racist and anti-Semitic threats to journalists and activists around the country

The leader, Cameron Shea, among those four has plead guilty to 2 charges.

In a federal court in Seattle, Shea pleaded guilty to two counts — out of five — in the indictment, one for conspiracy and one for interfering with “a federal protected activity because of religion,” the statement said. He faces up to five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and up to 10 for the hate-crime charge and is scheduled to be sentenced in June.

Cameron Shea, 25, and three co-defendants were charged with plotting in an online chat group to identify journalists and advocates they wanted to threaten as retaliation for their work exposing antisemitism

Posters were sent to several victims who are Jewish or journalists of color — including an official at the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish nonprofit organization that tracks antisemitism — in places such as Tampa, Seattle and Phoenix. One of them contained a “Grim Reaper-like figure” wearing a skeleton mask and holding a molotov cocktail in front of a home, accompanied with threatening messages, prosecutors said.

Two of the members charged last year, Taylor Ashley Parker-Dipeppe and Johnny Roman Garza, have pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and have been sentenced, authorities said. The fourth co-defendant, Kaleb Cole, pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial in September.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Earlier on Wednesday, the Eastern District of Virginia’s U.S. Attorney’s office announced the arrest of John Cameron Denton, 26, the former leader of Atomwaffen, who goes by “Rape,” for his alleged involvement in swatting a historically black church, investigative journalists, and a Cabinet official.

John Denton gets 41 months in prison.

A former leader in a violent neo-Nazi group was sentenced Tuesday to 41 months in prison for harassing journalists who reported on his activities and others.

John Cameron Denton, 27, was the Texas leader of the Atomwaffen Division when he took part in what Assistant U.S. Attorney Carina Cuellar called “the most widespread swatting conspiracy in the country” known to federal law enforcement. Swatting is the practice of making fake bomb and hostage threats to provoke an overwhelming law enforcement response.

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Audrey Kurth Cronin, a professor at American University, said what concerns her is the way fringe groups like Atomwaffen are being embraced by the broader far-right. Neo-Nazis marched with militias and other groups at protests, she said, and they all came together during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“There used to be a distinction between those who were anti-government and those who were neo-Nazis, but it’s a broad tent right now,” Cronin said. “They’re united under a kind of broad fascist front.”

 

[Whyayeman]

This is chilling. Nazis on the march in America!

Bang 'em up.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Cole, the current leader of the racist group, was also wanted by local authorities who issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of possessing firearms in violation of an extreme risk protection order.

A trial is underway for a Washington man believed to be behind a plot that targeted journalists and members of the Anti-Defamation League.

Kaleb Cole, of Arlington, faces five federal charges including conspiracy, mailing threatening communications and interference with federally protected activities.

 

[Ana the Ist]

“There used to be a distinction between those who were anti-government and those who were neo-Nazis, but it’s a broad tent right now,” Cronin said. “They’re united under a kind of broad fascist front.”

What kind of idiot wrote that quote? The anti-government groups are pro-fascist?

Someone doesn't understand what those words mean.

 

[Gene2memE]

Distinguished Professor

Audrey Kurth Cronin joined the faculty of the School of International Service in August 2016. She is the Founding Director of the Center for Security, Innovation and New Technology at AU. Professor Cronin’s career has combined academic positions and government service. She was a faculty member and director of the core course on War and Statecraft at the U.S. National War College (2007-2011). Before that she was Academic Director of Studies for the Oxford/Leverhulme Programme on the Changing Character of War at Oxford University (Nuffield College), from 2005 to 2007. Prior to that, she was Specialist in Terrorism at the Congressional Research Service, responsible for advising Members of Congress in the aftermath of 9/11. She’s served in the U.S. Executive branch, including the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy. She frequently consults at the most senior levels of the U.S. government. Professor Cronin is widely published on strategy and nonstate actors....”

 

[essentialsaltes]

Kaleb Cole, of Arlington, faces five federal charges including conspiracy, mailing threatening communications and interference with federally protected activities.

He got 7 years.

Leader of Neo-Nazi Group Sentenced for Plot to Target Journalists and Advocates
A Washington man was sentenced today to 84 months, or seven years, in prison for his role in a plot to threaten and intimidate journalists and advocates who worked to expose anti-Semitism.

Kaleb Cole, 25, a leader of the Neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, was convicted by a federal jury in the Western District of Washington of one count of interfering with a federally protected activity because of religion, three counts of mailing threatening communications, and one count of conspiring with other Atomwaffen members to commit three offenses against the United States – interference with federally-protected activities because of religion, mailing threatening communications, and cyberstalking.