A federal grand jury indicted eight men on July 10, 2026, for their involvement in a plot to attack a UFC event at the White House. The Department of Justice reported that the two-count indictment, issued in Ohio, replaces initial charges against the suspects from various states. The suspects were arrested in states including Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, California, and Washington. Chandler Scaggs, 21, was apprehended in West Virginia and added to the indictment.
The charges include conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory, as stated by the DOJ. The defendants allegedly planned to use drones to create a mass evacuation at the UFC event on June 14, 2026, and then attack the White House. The FBI intervened before the attack could be executed.
Law enforcement became aware of the plot on June 10, four days before the event. The group began acquiring resources such as firearms, ammunition, and drones in May. The indictment claims the group intended to target President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other officials, as well as tech mogul Elon Musk and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who were expected to attend.
Scaggs was designated as one of the snipers for the planned attack. He was to be picked up by co-conspirator Tycen Proper, 19, who was arrested prior to the event. The group communicated through various messaging platforms. The other indicted individuals are Abraham Alvarez, 31; Daniel Eskridge, 32; William Falkner, 21; Jordan Rincker, 28; Bryan Roa, 25; and Michael Thomas, 32.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and potentially a lifetime sentence for conspiracy to commit murder. The case is being prosecuted in the Southern District of Ohio.