West Virginia man arrested in for role in UFC 250 terror plot

A Logan County man is the latest to be arrested for an alleged terror plot planned for last month’s Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the White House lawn. 

Chandler D. Scaggs, 21, of Chapmanville, was taken into custody this week in West Virginia, according to a news release Thursday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Southern Ohio. 

He’s among eight men charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official, according to the news release.

The seven other men charged in the plot are: Tycen C. Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio; Bryan Omar Roa, 24, of Calimesa, California; Michael Alan Thomas, 32, of Pinon Hills, California; Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, of Kidder, Missouri; William L.S. Faulkner, 21, of Belfair, Washington;  Jordan W. Rincker, 28, of St. Joseph, Missouri;  and Abraham H. Alvarez, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska. 

According to the FBI, the men planned to deploy drones armed with explosives in order to force an evacuation of the June 14 event and then planned to deploy snipers to fire upon “high value targets,” including some elected officials from West Virginia, within the crowd.

State Del. Tristin Leavitt, R-Kanawha, as well as U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice, Reps. Carol Miller and Riley Moore — all Republicans representing West Virginia — were among a list of government officials that were targeted “due to their support for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee,” according to the criminal complaint against Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez.

According to the indictment, the defendants began to conspire in May to provide material support and resources to terrorists in the form of money, firearms, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones, medical equipment, communication equipment, personnel and other services.

The eight men allegedly participated in online chat groups and forums on Signal, SimpleX, Discord, TikTok and Instagram, the indictment says. The men allegedly developed plans for attacks, recruited members and encouraged each other to prepare for attacks, including the attack on UFC Freedom 250.