Eight indicted over alleged White House UFC attack plot

A UFC cage stood on the White House lawn as Donald Trump and other high-profile guests watched the June 14 event without incident. Behind the scenes, authorities say they had already disrupted an alleged plan involving explosive-laden drones and snipers targeting people fleeing the grounds. Eight men have now been indicted on federal conspiracy charges in a case that prosecutors say stretched across several US states.

How Events Unfolded

A federal grand jury in Ohio indicted Abraham Alvarez, Daniel Eskridge, William Falkner, Tycen Proper, Jordan Rincker, Bryan Roa, Chandler Scaggs and Michael Thomas. The men, aged between 19 and 32, face allegations of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal official.

According to the indictment described by the ABC's detailed account, the alleged plan began in May. Prosecutors say the group accumulated money, firearms, ammunition, body armour, explosives, drones, medical supplies and communications equipment, while using encrypted messaging services and social media to organise participants.

Authorities learned of a possible threat on June 10, four days before UFC Freedom 250 was held on the White House grounds. Court documents say one alleged plan involved sending explosive-laden drones towards the event to trigger panic, then positioning shooters to target people as they fled.

The first arrests came around the weekend of the event, followed by more arrests in the next week. Scaggs, 21, was the eighth man charged and was accused of being assigned as a sniper. Prosecutors allege he remained willing to take part after losing contact with Proper following Proper's arrest.

Digging Deeper

The case did not begin with an intelligence breakthrough described in the indictment. Authorities say a concerned family member helped set the investigation in motion. Proper's mother contacted police after becoming worried about his online conversations and recent weapons purchases, according to court documents reported by multiple outlets.

The documents describe a structured group with a so-called tier system. Prosecutors say participants classified as 'Tier One' were expected to accept the possibility of breaking the law, placing themselves in danger and going into hiding. The alleged network communicated through platforms including Signal, SimpleX, Discord, TikTok and Instagram.

Prosecutors allege some members also underwent marksmanship and combat training. The indictment says one participant sought 3D-printed drone frames, while others exchanged equipment including body armour, night-vision goggles and a shotgun. Those details matter because they are presented by prosecutors as evidence that the alleged plan moved beyond online discussion into preparation.

What People Are Saying

The defendants have not all publicly responded to the allegations in the material provided. Proper's lawyer, Joseph Patituce, said his client would plead not guilty and urged the public not to prejudge the case.

Mr. Proper will enter a plea of not guilty and as we move forward we will carefully review the charges against him and go step by step from there.

Eric Brehm, who represents Scaggs, also said his office was still reviewing the prosecution material.

Because of the serious nature of the allegations, I decline any further comment until I've had an opportunity to more thoroughly review this matter.

Putting It in Perspective

The indictment combines earlier criminal complaints filed in several districts into a single federal prosecution in Ohio. That gives prosecutors one case in which to present their claim that the eight men were part of the same alleged conspiracy rather than a collection of disconnected defendants.

The alleged targets included Trump, US Vice-President JD Vance, Elon Musk and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to prosecutors. Court records cited by the sources do not establish how close the group came to carrying out the alleged attack, and Netanyahu was not at the event.

For Australian readers, the significance lies in the scale of the alleged security threat and the way prosecutors say online networks were used to organise people across multiple states. The case also shows how a private family warning can become the starting point for a nationwide investigation into an alleged violent plot.

Looking Ahead

The eight defendants now face the federal indictment in Ohio. The charge of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years, while the murder conspiracy charge can carry up to life imprisonment if there are convictions.

The next confirmed stage is the legal process around pleas, evidence and prosecution of the two conspiracy counts. The allegations remain unproven, and the court will determine whether prosecutors can establish the case against each defendant.