Eighth man charged in alleged drone-and-sniper plot at White House UFC event
A West Virginia man has become the eighth person charged in an alleged plot to attack a UFC event at the White House and kill government officials and others attending the event.
Federal prosecutors said Chandler D. Scaggs, 21, of Chapmanville, West Virginia, was taken into custody this week. A two-count indictment returned in Columbus, Ohio, charges Scaggs and seven other men with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal official.
Prosecutors said Scaggs agreed to serve as one of the snipers in the alleged attack on UFC Freedom 250, held June 14 on the South Lawn of the White House.
According to the Justice Department, Scaggs was supposed to travel to Washington, D.C., with Tycen C. Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio. Prosecutors said Scaggs lost contact with Proper after Proper’s arrest but told the group he still wanted to participate. Scaggs then made new plans for another alleged co-conspirator to pick him up.
The plot
The indictment says the group began planning in May and gathered money, firearms, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones, medical equipment, communications equipment and other supplies.
Prosecutors said the men used online platforms, including Signal, SimpleX, Discord, TikTok and Instagram, to develop plans, recruit members and encourage each other to prepare for attacks.
Federal prosecutors identified the eight defendants:
- Abraham H. Alvarez, also known as Shepherd, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska.
- Daniel K. Eskridge, also known as Fulcrum, 32, of Hamilton, Missouri.
- William L. S. Falkner, also known as Pepsi, 21, of Belfair, Washington.
- Tycen J. Proper, also known as Prox, 19, of Danville, Ohio.
- Jordan W. Rincker, also known as Shriveled Shlong, 28, of St. Joseph, Missouri.
- Bryan O. Roa, also known as Noble, 25, of Calimesa, California.
- Chandler D. Scaggs, also known as Viper of the S.O.G., 21, of Chapmanville, West Virginia.
- Michael A. Thomas, also known as Whiskey Six, 32, of Pinon Hills, California.
The alleged targets included President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, other federal officials, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Elon Musk and “other high value targets” expected to attend the event, prosecutors said.
An attorney for Scaggs said his office was in the early stages of reviewing the government’s evidence and declined further comment because of the seriousness of the allegations.
Seven defendants had previously been charged through criminal complaints in several states. The new indictment replaces those earlier charges.
If convicted, the defendants could face up to life in prison.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
