Feds: California Men Discussed ‘Terrorist’ Attacks on Twitter and Facebook, Other Targets

Two California males have been indicted in reference to an obvious plot to assault the state’s Democratic Party headquarters, situated in Sacramento, the Justice Department said Friday. The males additionally mentioned assaults at different places all through the state that they “associated with Democrats,” together with the headquarters of each Facebook and Twitter, in addition to the governor’s mansion, amongst different targets.

California residents Ian Benjamin Rogers, 45, of Napa and Jarrod Copeland, 37, of Vallejo, have been arrested in reference to the obvious plots and at the moment are going through a bevy of federal prices, recently unsealed court documents present.

Rogers was arrested in January after police executed a warrant at his dwelling and enterprise, subsequently confiscating firearms, pipe bombs, bomb-making supplies and a duplicate of the notorious tome The Anarchist Cookbook (which particulars easy methods to create selfmade explosives). Copeland was taken into custody on Thursday.

A bomb technician subsequently carried out checks on the explosives and decided that they have been “fully operational and could cause great bodily harm or injury if handled improperly,” court documents state.

Federal authorities allege that, after the 2020 presidential election, the 2 males had ongoing discussions by way of encrypted messaging platforms about conducting violent assaults with the intention to convey a few “movement to overthrow the government.”

If the allegations are true, it’s one more instance of the panoply of “revolutionary” LARPing that rightwing communities have exhibited since former president Trump misplaced his bid for a second time period as president. See additionally: the man who sought to destroy the web to piss off the deep state/oligarchy/no matter.

Messages between Rogers and Copeland, which the federal government partially reproduces within the courtroom paperwork, provides some perception into their obvious plans. After the lethal January 6 riot in Washington D.C., Copeland despatched Rogers the next messages:

“REVOLUTION” “REVOLUTION” “REVOLUTION” “I’m fucking juiced!!!!!” “I’m bout to throw my gear on and drive around and punish sombitces” “Bro I’m juiced” “I have my g19 in my hand”[apparent reference to a gun]…

In a later trade, the 2 seem to plot their very own “revolution”:

ROGERS: Ok bro we have to hit the enemy within the mouth
COPELAND: Yeah so we punch soros
ROGERS: I believe proper now we assault democrats
ROGERS: They’re workplaces and so on
ROGERS: Molotov cocktails and gasoline
COPELAND We want extra individuals bro
COPELAND Gonna be exhausting

“Firebombing your perceived political opponents is illegal and does not nurture the sort of open and vigorous debate that created and supports our constitutional democracy,” mentioned U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds in a press release. “The allegations in the indictment describe despicable conduct. Investigation and prosecution of those who choose violence over discussion is as important as anything else we do to protect our free society.”

One of the accused’s attorneys has claimed that what the federal government alleges was a nefarious terror plot was actually simply drunken boasting and that the boys had no actual intention of following by on their plans to explode buildings.

“It’s clear that these were two ideologues who were caught up in the passion and drama of last January, and engaged in drunken bluster and rhetoric with no actual intent to act,” legal professional Jess Raphael told the Napa Valley Register on Friday. Raphael is representing Rogers on associated state prices however not the federal ones, the outlet experiences. “There is no evidence whatsoever that any preparatory actions were taken. It was all intoxicated speech,” he mentioned.