Three alleged white supremacists arrested last week on gun and immigration charges discussed violence they hoped could incite a civil war at an apartment in Newark.
That’s according to a new document filed Tuesday in federal court.
Brian M. Lemley Jr., William G. Bilbrough IV and Canadian citizen Patrik J. Mathews are alleged members of the extremist organization The Base — and allegedly prepared for violence at Monday’s gun-rights rally in Richmond, Virginia.
The motion for detention pending trial filed against the men says law enforcement officials installed a camera and microphone in a Newark apartment where Mathews and Lemley lived for several months. They allegedly built a functioning assault rifle there and gathered rations, ammunition and radio supplies.
Law enforcement say they observed Mathews and Lemley talking about using the Virginia rally to kickstart the “economic collapse of the U.S.” They allegedly discussed derailing trains and sabotaging power lines.
Mathews allegedly called the Virginia rally a "boundless" opportunity. "You’ve got tons of guys who ... should be radicalized enough to know that all you gotta do is start making things go wrong and if Virginia can spiral out to [expletive] full blown civil war," he said.
According to the motion, Lemley discussed using a thermal imaging scope on his rifle to attack civilians and police officers. "I need to claim my first victim,” he allegedly said. “It’s so unfair what I can do to people with that, you know. There is no safety."
All three men were arrested several days before the rally, which ended peacefully. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam had declared a state of emergency beforehand and temporarily banned weapons from the state capitol grounds.
Detention hearings for the suspects were scheduled for Wednesday.
Detention Motion Newark by Delaware Public Media on Scribd
