DOJ says neo-Nazi group used ‘swatting’ to target officials, journalists, church

[rodneymullenmg]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...692346-33b5-11ea-91fd-82d4e04a3fac_story.html




Federal officials said a Virginia man arrested Friday is linked to a string of fake bomb threats and “swatting” attacks on journalists, government officials and others as part of an international group sympathetic to neo-Nazi ideology.

John William Kirby Kelley had his first appearance in federal court in Alexandria on Friday; his public defender did not comment on the allegations but said his client has “very limited funds.” The charge against Kelley of conspiracy to make threats carries up to five years in prison.

Members of the group, which is unnamed, “all appeared to share racist views,” according to an affidavit from an FBI agent, “with particular disdain for African Americans and Jewish people.” They expressed affinity with the neo-Nazi Atomwaffen Division, the agent wrote.

 

[Cryptic]

Federal officials said a Virginia man arrested Friday is linked to a string of fake bomb threats and “swatting” attacks on journalists, government officials and others as part of an international group sympathetic to neo-Nazi ideology.

Sounds like a continuation of and a more dangerous form of the earlier “paper harassment” tactics of some earlier right wing groups in western states.

The militia type organizations would file dozens of liens on the homes of officials and private citizens who had either taken enforcement actions against them or just plain irritated them. The liens were at times supported by bogus “constitutional court” documents that looked remarkably similar to real court documents from the county in question.

On other occasions, bogus “constitutional court” documents were used to tow vehicles and to support a blizzard of frivolous law suits. With either liens or law suits, those targeted found out that it was very easy to file the liens or lawsuits, but voiding or defending against them took huge amounts of time. I think some western states even made "Paper harassment" in the form of filing unsupported liens a criminal charge.