Prosecutors: 3 men plotted to terrorize Vegas protests

[Snowboarder_Bo]

It’s not the people who don’t want others murdered by police who are committing the violence.

Three Nevada men with ties to a loose movement of right-wing extremists advocating the overthrow of the U.S. government have been arrested on terrorism-related charges in what authorities say was a conspiracy to spark violence during recent protests in Las Vegas.

Federal prosecutors say the three white men with U.S. military experience are accused of conspiring to carry out a plan that began in April in conjunction with protests to reopen businesses closed because of the coronavirus.

More recently, they sought to capitalize on protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis after a white officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air, prosecutors said.

The three men were arrested Saturday on the way to a protest in downtown Las Vegas after filling gas cans at a parking lot and making Molotov cocktails in glass bottles, according to a copy of the criminal complaint obtained by The Associated Press.

The complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas on Wednesday said they self-identified as part of the “boogaloo” movement, which U.S. prosecutors said in the document is “a term used by extremists to signify coming civil war and/or fall of civilization.”

Stephen T. Parshall, 35, Andrew T. Lynam Jr., 23, and William L. Loomis, 40, were being held on $1 million bond each in the Clark County jail Wednesday, according to court records. Lynam is from suburban Henderson and the others are from Las Vegas.

The complaint said Lynam is an Army reservist, with Parshall formerly enlisted in the Navy and Loomis formerly enlisted in the Air Force.

Each currently faces two federal charges — conspiracy to damage and destroy by fire and explosive, and possession of unregistered firearms. In state court, they’ve been accused of felony conspiracy, terrorism and explosives possession. Trutanich said they’ll be prosecuted in both jurisdictions.

“This type of planning and intent on causing mayhem is terroristic and will not be tolerated,” said Steve Wolfson, the district attorney in Las Vegas.

A confidential informant met Lynam and Parshall at an early April rally in Las Vegas calling for the reopening of the state’s economy, the federal complaint said. The men were carrying firearms and Lynam said the group “was not for joking around and that it was for people who wanted to violently overthrow the United States government,” according to the complaint.

The informant stated that Parshall and Loomis’ “idea behind the explosion was to hopefully create civil unrest and rioting throughout Las Vegas.”

They wanted to use the momentum from riots occurring nationwide because of Floyd’s death “to hopefully stir enough confusion and excitement, that others see the explosions and police presence and begin to riot in the streets out of anger,” the complaint said.

[Snowboarder_Bo]

Report: FBI found weapons, booby traps after arrest of 3 men

In the bed of Parshall’s truck, the FBI found strips of red rags and gasoline, according to a police arrest report. Inside the truck were aerosol cans and weapons.

Inside Loomis’ home, the FBI found handwritten notes of military tactics, possible scouting routes and locations outside the city limits. They also found “kill boxes, survival tactics, fireworks as distractions,” an explosive made of material used primarily for target practice and other traps, according to a police report.

I like this bit about one of the men:

After his arrest, Lynam told officers during a police interview that the group started on Facebook but evolved to recruit “like-minded individuals” at rallies and protests with members being vetted undergoing physical training and surveying law enforcement at the protests and rallies.

Lynam apologized “and said he was sorry for the danger his actions may have caused to the Las Vegas citizens who were engaged in constitutionally protected activity,” according to a police report.

Loomis, a U.S. postal worker, told officers during a police interview that he was looking for an outlet to express his rage, anger and frustration at the United States. He told police he tried to convince the group to go hiking instead of attending the protest the night of the arrests, but police said Loomis tried to flee during his arrest and was carrying a concealed firearm, long weapons, ammunition, radios and other equipment, according to the police report.

[jz78817]

I’ve seen a couple of photos of these douches wearing tricorn hats. As if they’re George fucking Washington.

These are the people to be worried about.