Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Arson at Planned Parenthood Clinic

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to the arson at the Columbia Health Center (operated by Planned Parenthood Great Plains) on Feb. 10, 2019.

Wesley Brian Kaster, 42, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps Jr. to one count of maliciously using explosive materials to damage a building owned by an organization that receives federal financial assistance, and one count of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Kaster has remained in federal custody without bond since his arrest on March 2, 2019.

By pleading guilty today, Kaster admitted that he manufactured a Molotov cocktail on Feb. 10, 2019. On the same day, he broke the glass in the north entry door of the Columbia Health Center at 711 N. Providence Road and threw the Molotov cocktail into the facility. At approximately 4:10 a.m., the Columbia Fire Department arrived on the scene, investigated the damage caused by the explosive device, and collected evidence.

Kaster admitted today that he took these actions because Planned Parenthood provided reproductive health services at the facility.

Under federal statutes, Kaster is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 21 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the FBI.

Toledo woman sentenced for planning two terrorist attacks

Elizabeth Lecron, 24, was sentenced today to 180 months of incarceration and lifetime supervision for her involvement in planning two terrorist attacks, including an attack at a local Toledo bar.  During the sentencing hearing, Judge James G. Carr called Lecron’s actions “monstrous.”  Her co-defendant and live-in boyfriend, Vincent Armstrong, has pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme and will be sentenced on December 10, 2019.

“This defendant was deadly serious about plotting for an attack on Toledo and an interstate pipeline,” said United States Attorney Justin Herdman.  “She stands convicted of a terrorism offense and will spend the next fifteen years in a federal prison. When she is released, she will spend the rest of her life under intense supervision by a federal court. Today’s sentence reflects the severity of her conduct and is a recognition of the continued efforts by law enforcement to protect the public from all violent threats.”

“Elizabeth Lecron's lengthy incarceration followed by a lifetime of supervised release is more than justified for her despicable plan to commit mass murder in our city,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith.  “The investigation, prosecution, and her sentence demonstrates the importance of the continued partnership between the public and law enforcement, as well as a strong US Attorney's Office willing to pursue warranted charges that will keep dangerous people like Elizabeth Lecron under law enforcement's watchful eye.  It should also serve as a reminder to others that law enforcement will pursue criminals bent on attacking fellow citizens with every tool at our disposal.”

As set out in court filings and during court hearings, Lecron and Armstrong met and started dating in early 2018.  Shortly after meeting, Lecron expressed her interest in mass murderers and introduced Armstrong to an online group called the “True Crime Community.”  This group fixated and lionized mass murderers and posted extremely graphic images, videos, and sayings. They two became immersed in this subculture, including take a trip in August 2018 to visit the sights related to the Columbine High School shooting to pay tribute to the shooters and Lecron writing numerous letters to Dylann Roof.

Lecron and Armstrong privately discussed committing their own mass murder in the Toledo area and referred to this attack as “D-day.”  They discussed using bombs and guns to kill, maim, and injure innocent people.  They took several steps in preparation for “D-day.” They purchased guns and went to the shooting range to practice their firearm skills.  They also printed instructions to make pipe bombs and bought some the necessary components.  They detailed their plan and feelings in personal journals.  For instance, Armstrong wrote that he had “a vision to kill” and Lecron wrote, “D-day will be my salvation.”

Separately, on December 8, 2018, Lecron purchased two pounds of black powder and hundreds of screws intending that they be used in a bombing of a pipeline in Georgia.

This conduct took place between April 2018 and December 10, 2018.

This case was investigated by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Freeman and Tracey Tangeman.

DOD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel.

Both soldiers died Nov. 20, 2019, in Logar Province, Afghanistan, when their helicopter crashed while providing security for troops on the ground. The incident is under investigation.
The deceased are:

Chief Warrant Officer 2 David C. Knadle, 33, from Tarrant, Texas.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr., 25, from Keaau, Hawaii.

Both soldiers were assigned to 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

For more information regarding CW2 David C. Knadle and CW2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr., media may contact Lt. Col. Chris Brautigam, 1st Cavalry Division public affairs officer at 254-287-9398 or christopher.r.brautigam.mil@mail.mil.

Alleged Leader of Chicago-Area Street Gang Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS

Other Suspected Gang Members or Associates Charged with Drug Trafficking

CHICAGO — The suspected leader of a Chicago-area street gang has been arrested for allegedly attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

JASON BROWN, also known as “Abdul Ja’Me,” provided $500 in cash to an individual on three separate occasions this year, with the understanding that the money would be wired to an ISIS soldier engaged in active combat in Syria, according to a criminal complaint and affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Unbeknownst to Brown, the individual to whom he provided the money was confidentially working with law enforcement, and the purported ISIS fighter was actually an undercover law enforcement officer, the complaint states.

Brown, 37, of Lombard, Ill., was arrested Thursday.  He is charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization.  A detention hearing is set for Nov. 21, 2019, at 11:00 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sunil R. Harjani in Chicago.

The complaint alleges that Brown is the leader of the AHK street gang, which is based in the Chicago suburb of Bellwood and comprised of former members of other gangs, including the Black P Stones, Gangster Disciples, and Four Corner Hustlers.

Six other alleged AHK members or associates were charged in a separate complaint with federal drug offenses.  According to the charges, AHK members allegedly trafficked various narcotics in the Chicago area, including a fentanyl analogue, heroin, and cocaine, and often boasted about the gang’s activities on social media.  As part of the investigation, law enforcement shut down the gang’s operation of two illicit drug markets on the West Side of Chicago and executed search warrants at numerous locations.

“The conduct alleged in these two complaints presents grave risks to our communities,” said John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.  “We will seek accountability to the fullest extent of the law.”

“These charges underscore the ceaseless efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to disrupt the illegal flow of money and drugs,” said Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI.  “The FBI is proud to collaborate with its partners to make our neighborhoods safer and to keep valuable resources out of the hands of gang and terrorist organizations.”

U.S. Attorney Lausch announced the charges along with John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the U.S. Department of Justice, and Eddie Johnson, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Substantial investigative assistance was provided by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, Illinois State Police, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Lombard, Ill., Police Department, and Addison, Ill., Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shoba Pillay, Sean Driscoll and Nicholas Eichenseer of the Northern District of Illinois, with support from the National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section.

The alleged AHK members or associates charged with conspiracy to possess a fentanyl analogue, heroin, and cocaine with the intent to distribute are TRISTAN CLANTON, 34, of Chicago, RANDALL LANGSTON, 25, of Bellwood, Ill., his brother, BRANDON LANGSTON, 22, of Bellwood, Ill., HEZEKIAH WYATT, 19, of Hillside, Ill., LENOLIS MUHAMMAD-CURTIS, 24, of Bellwood, Ill., and FRANK THAXTON, 19, of Chicago.  Clanton, Brandon Langston, Wyatt and Muhammad-Curtis were arrested Thursday.  Judge Harjani set their detention hearings for next week.  Thaxton is currently in the custody of state law enforcement, and a federal court appearance will be scheduled at a later date.  An arrest warrant has been issued for Randall Langston.

According to the charges, Clanton is an influential AHK member who leads a drug trafficking operation in Chicago and Bellwood.  The organization is responsible for trafficking more than a half kilogram of heroin, at least 474 grams of fentanyl analogue, and distribution quantities of cocaine and other drugs, the charges allege.  Clanton and his crew sold drugs near two intersections in the North Lawndale and Humboldt Park neighborhoods of Chicago, according to the complaint.  Law enforcement shut down the crew’s operation of these markets as part of the federal probe.   

The public is reminded that charges contain only accusations and are not evidence of guilt.  The material support charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.  The drug conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.