The eight would-be domestic terrorists accused of plotting a shocking drone attack on the White House during a UFC card last month tried to hide their identities behind asinine code names, authorities say.
“Shriveled Shlong,” “Whiskey Six,” and “Viper of the S.O.G.” were some of the cryptonyms chosen by the motley crew who allegedly used online chat rooms to map out a drone and sniper attack targeting President Trump and other government officials — only to be thwarted when “Prox” was ratted out by his mother.
“This is a classic example of ‘see something, say something’ and how the law enforcement partnership comes together to keep communities safe … This was an excellent case of someone who was concerned by what they were seeing and contacted law enforcement before violence came on,” Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cincinnati Office, told reporters Friday.
All eight suspects were indicted Thursday in Columbus, Ohio, federal court on charges of conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official, as well as conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.
The plot began taking shape in May, when the octet began amassing money, firearms, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones, medical equipment, and communications equipment, among other items, according to the indictment.
Using chatgroups and forums on platforms including Signal, Discord, TikTok and Instagram, the conspirators singled out President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, trillionaire Elon Musk, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as potential “high-value targets” at the UFC Freedom 250 event held on the South Lawn June 14, prosecutors claim.
“[That] communication network that gave us a road map to a sinister plot targeting the White House complex,” said Jason Rees, Special Agent in Charge of the US Secret Service’s Cincinnati Field Office.
Abraham H. Alvarez, 31, of Omaha, Neb., acted as the group’s leader and operated under the name “Shepard,” prosecutors said.
He and the others developed a hierarchy of plotters, with those in the so-called “tier one” committing “to put themselves in harms [sic] way, break the law, and potentially go into hiding,” according to court documents.
Tycen J. Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio — operating under the name “Prox” — allegedly spent $3,000 of his “graduation money” on multiple weapons, while 21-year-old William L. S. Falkner of Belfair, Wash., known to his buddies as “Pepsi,” is accused of using a 3D printer to make drones.
Jordan W. Rinker, aka “Shriveled Shlong,” 28, of St. Joseph, Mo.; Chandler D. Scaggs, “Viper of the S.O.G.,” 21, of Chapmanville, WV; and Daniel K. Eskridge, “Fulcrum,” 32, of Hamilton, Mo, were also charged in the plot.
Two others — Michael A. Thomas, or “Whiskey Six,” 32, of Pinon Hills, Calif.; and Bryan O. Roa, or “Noble,” 25, of Calimesia, Calif.; even met up to train in “marksmanship and combat tactics,” the indictment states.
Proper and Roa quit their jobs in the days before the planned attack, and the group allegedly made plans to travel to DC for the scheme.
One of the defendants told investigators that they planned to detonate explosive-laden drones near the temporary fight venue and then shoot panicked spectators as they fled, according to a federal affidavit.
It remains unclear how close the would-be attackers came to carrying out the plan, but it was sniffed out after Proper’s mother alerted authorities to his firearm purchases and online activity.
The teen had kept his armaments stockpile — which included a 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun that had an American flag painted over it — in his family’s home.
All eight face life in prison if convicted of all charges.
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