By STEVEN ALLEN ADAMS
For the Dominion Post
CHARLESTON — An alleged plot to attack last Sunday’s Ultimate Fighting Championship Freedom 250 event at the White House also targeted several lawmakers, including West Virginia’s entire congressional delegation and a member of the House of Delegates.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday that charges were filed against five individuals accused of plotting to attack the UFC event on the front lawn of the White House.
Charges were filed Monday against Tycen C. Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio; Bryan Omar Roa, 24, of Calimesa, Calif.; Michael Alan Thomas, 32, of Pinon Hills, Calif.; Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, of Kidder, Mo.; and Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, 31, of Omaha, Neb. The FBI made arrests over the weekend.
The five individuals are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds. If convicted, the first charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine, while the second charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
According to the DOJ, the individuals are accused of a plot to kill government officials who attended the highly publicized event at the White House, with plans to deploy drones with explosives over the UFC event to create panic and using snipers to murder “high value” targets, such as cabinet officials, members of Congress, and wealthy attendees. Plotting by these individuals began in March, using TikTok and encrypted social media apps to communicate and coordinate.
Much of the details of the case are in an unsealed complaint filed by the DOJ in several jurisdictions, including the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, against Proper, who was interviewed by the FBI at an unnamed medical facility on June 11. In that complaint, Proper told investigators some of his targets for attack included U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.; U.S. Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va.; 1st District Congresswoman Carol Miller, R-W.Va.; and 2nd District Congressman Riley Moore, R-W.Va.
The names of West Virginia’s congressional delegation, along with U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., were shared by Proper with his co-conspirators in a May 13 group chat.
“These are the people we’re going to focus on,” Proper texted, followed by images of Capito, Justice, Miller and Moore. According to the complaint, the images sent by Proper were taken from TrackAIPAC.com, a website that tracks campaign contributions to lawmakers by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, an organization that supports strong relations between the U.S. and Israel.
Capito, Justice, and Moore were not in attendance at Sunday’s UFC event according to their offices. Miller’s office provided a statement but did not say whether Miller was in attendance.
“These are scary times, and that’s troubling.” Capito said in a statement Tuesday night. “I am grateful to the FBI and our law enforcement partners for their professionalism, commitment, and diligence to prevent any attacks on elected officials or events.”
“First and foremost, I want to thank Director Patel, the FBI, the Department of Justice, and all the agencies that immediately jumped into action to eliminate the threat of a terrorist attack at the UFC America 250 event,” Justice said. “Learning that members of Congress, including myself, have been among those targeted in this plot should not be tolerated. But what I do know is that I am incredibly grateful for the brave folks working hard behind the scenes.”
“I am deeply grateful to the FBI, Capitol Police, and our local law enforcement officers who acted swiftly to disrupt the planned attack targeting me and other lawmakers at the Freedom250 event last weekend,” Miller said. “Their precision and vigilance prevented what could have been a horrific tragedy and undoubtedly saved many lives.”
“I want to personally thank (FBI Director Kash, the FBI, the Justice Department, Capitol Police) and every law enforcement agency involved in uncovering and stopping this heinous plot that specifically targeted myself, the West Virginia delegation, and our colleagues at the Freedom 250 UFC event over the weekend,” Moore said on social media Tuesday. “The FBI and Capitol Police’s swift actions kept us safe from this direct threat against our lives, and I am forever grateful to these brave men and women.”
In a separate complaint filed against Alvarez in U.S. District Court in Nebraska, Proper also named other targets, including U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Del. Tristan Leavitt, R-Kanawha.
“Today I was made aware that my name appeared as a target of a domestic terror plot disrupted by the FBI several days ago,” Leavitt said Tuesday in a statement. “Let me be clear: I am not intimidated, and I will not be silenced in standing up for the people of West Virginia or our allies, including Israel … Violence against the democratic process is unacceptable.”
According to the criminal complaint against Proper, law enforcement intervened after the suspect’s family reported his tactical preparations and massive collection of firearms and ammunition. Evidence recovered from encrypted messaging apps confirmed detailed tactical mapping and coordination for the assault.
The group cited government corruption, the handling of the “Epstein files,” and the impact of data centers on community water supplies as justifications for their actions. Family members reported that Proper had become closed off and made sympathetic comments about Adolf Hitler. Investigators identified anti-Semitic posts made by Proper on Facebook. Law enforcement confiscated weapons, ammo and tactical gear from Proper’s home.
