Three Nevada men with ties to a loose movement of right-wing extremists advocating the overthrow of the U.S. government have been arrested on terror charges in what authorities say was a conspiracy to spark violence during recent protests in Las Vegas.
Prosecutors said Wednesday the three face conspiracy charges stemming from a plan that began in conjunction with protests to reopen businesses closed because of COVID-19. They say the three later sought to capitalize on protests over the death of George Floyd. NBC News reports the F.B.I. were tipped to the men in April, who all have current or prior military experience.
District Court documents identify the three as 40-year-old William Loomis, 23-year-old Andrew Lynam, and 35-year-old Stephen "Kiwi" Parshall. The three were arrested Saturday, May 30, prior to the start of the Black Lives Matter protest downtown. F.B.I. SWAT caught the three at a location two miles East of downtown at a fitness center parking lot. Agents seized weapons, including an AR-15 and a shotgun, plus four jars filled with gasoline and components used to create improvised incendiary devices.