Eight men have been indicted on charges of murder conspiracy and terrorism conspiracy in connection with a thwarted plot to attack a UFC event held at the White House in June. The indictment, unsealed in Ohio, consolidates charges against the defendants who allegedly amassed weapons, explosives, and drones beginning in May.
Law enforcement became aware of the potential threat on June 10, just four days before the mixed martial arts event, dubbed Freedom 250, was scheduled to take place. The Justice Department had previously announced criminal complaints in multiple districts, including Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, and California, related to the alleged plot. The Thursday indictment aims to consolidate these cases into a single prosecution in Ohio.
Officials stated that the group harbored extremist conspiracy theories and intended to destabilize the government through their actions. According to a federal affidavit, one of the defendants told investigators that the plan involved flying explosive-laden drones into the event and then shooting at fleeing attendees.
Among the indicted are Tycen C Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio, who was arrested with four others in Missouri, Nebraska, and California on the weekend of the event. Two more defendants were arrested by the FBI in Washington and Missouri about a week later. The eighth individual, 21-year-old Chandler D Scaggs of West Virginia, was taken into custody this week. Scaggs was allegedly designated as one of the snipers in the plot, according to the affidavit, and despite initial contact loss with Proper after his arrest, Scaggs allegedly signaled continued willingness to participate and arranged travel with another co-conspirator.
Prosecutors allege the group targeted President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, other federal officials, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and businessman Elon Musk, among other "high value targets." Neither Netanyahu nor Musk ultimately attended the event, though Trump and Vance were present. Elon Musk commented on the news via his X platform, calling the plot "crazy."
If convicted of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, the defendants face up to 15 years in prison. The charge of conspiring to commit murder carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The UFC event itself took place on President Trump's 80th birthday. While the event experienced a weather delay of over an hour due to severe storms, security officials reported that the event proceeded smoothly from a security standpoint. The octagon was covered by a canopy, but spectators were initially kept from the arena because of the weather.