Alleged sniper role detailed in explosive-drone conspiracy case
The Justice Department announced Thursday that Chandler Scaggs was arrested Tuesday by the FBI. According to the indictment, the co-conspirators planned to target the north side of the White House UFC event with explosive-laden drones, forcing fight spectators to evacuate to the south, where stationed snipers would open fire on the fleeing crowd. Prosecutors alleged Scaggs was to serve as one of those snipers.
The charge of providing material support to terrorists carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, while the conspiracy to murder government officials charge is punishable by up to life in prison, the Justice Department said. The indictment alleges the suspects planned to murder President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose attendance at the event was not immediately confirmed.
The eight suspects are among nearly two dozen people alleged to have conspired in the plot, according to the Justice Department. Court documents state the group’s alleged grievances include purported government corruption and U.S. lawmakers’ involvement with Israel. The suspects are alleged to have begun plotting the attack in May and communicated via encrypted apps including Signal, TikTok and Instagram, prosecutors said.
The first five suspects were arrested last month after the parents of 19-year-old Tycen Proper alerted police to their son’s purchase of weapons and online activities. Proper allegedly was supposed to pick up Scaggs and drive to Washington, D.C., for the June 14 event.
Prosecutors said that after Proper’s arrest, Scaggs allegedly indicated to the rest of his co-conspirators that he was still willing to carry out the attack and made arrangements with a second co-conspirator, who was not named, to pick him up. The Thursday indictment follows earlier criminal complaints filed against the original seven defendants.