Eight men have been indicted in the United States on charges of murder conspiracy and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists over an alleged plot to attack the UFC cage-fighting event held at the White House in June.The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury in Ohio, accuses the group of participating in two conspiracies. One relates to providing material support to terrorists, while the other concerns plotting murders on federal government property, including the planned killing of a federal government official.Court documents do not indicate how close the suspects came to carrying out the attack before authorities intervened.According to the indictment, the alleged conspiracy began in May when the group started acquiring firearms, ammunition, explosives, drones, body armour, medical supplies, communications equipment and other materials while also raising funds for the operation, reported news agency AP.Law enforcement agencies became aware of a possible threat to President Donald Trump’s UFC event on June 10, four days before the mixed martial arts show, known as Freedom 250, was due to take place.The Justice Department had previously announced criminal complaints against several suspects in separate federal districts including Ohio, Missouri, Washington, Nebraska and California. The latest indictment consolidates those cases into a single prosecution in Ohio, alleging that all eight defendants were part of one coordinated conspiracy. Investigators said members of the group subscribed to fringe conspiracy theories and believed the planned attack would destabilise the US government.A federal affidavit states that one defendant admitted the group intended to fly drones carrying explosives into the venue before opening fire on spectators attempting to escape.Investigators said the accused communicated through online chat groups and forums, dividing members into different operational tiers. Tier 1 participants committed “to put themselves in harm’s way, break the law, and potentially go into hiding,” according to the federal indictment. Members also took part in firearms and combat training.Among those charged is 19-year-old Tycen C Proper of Danville, Ohio, who, along with four others, was arrested in Missouri, Nebraska and California during the weekend of the event. Two additional suspects were arrested about a week later by the FBI in Washington and Missouri.The eighth defendant, 21-year-old Chandler D. Scaggs of Chapmanville, West Virginia, was charged earlier this week and taken into custody in his home state. According to investigators, Scaggs had allegedly been assigned the role of one of the snipers in the planned attack.The affidavit alleges that Proper was expected to collect Scaggs before travelling to Washington, but communication between the two stopped after Proper’s arrest. Prosecutors claim Scaggs later indicated that he remained willing to participate in the operation and arranged to travel with another alleged co-conspirator.Scaggs’ lawyer, Eric Brehm, said his office was carefully examining the allegations and declined to make any further comment.If convicted, conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, while conspiracy to commit murder is punishable by up to life imprisonment.Federal prosecutors allege the group intended to assassinate President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, businessman Elon Musk, other senior federal officials and “other high value targets” during the White House event.
