Federal Grand Jury Indicts Eight Men Over Alleged Drone and Sniper Plot at White House Event

A federal grand jury in Columbus, Ohio, returned a two-count indictment Thursday charging eight men with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory, including the murder of a federal official.

Prosecutors allege the men planned a drone-and-sniper attack on the UFC Freedom 250 mixed martial arts event scheduled for June 14 on the South Lawn of the White House. The scheme called for explosive-laden drones to create chaos, followed by snipers firing on fleeing attendees that included President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The defendants, if convicted, each face up to life in prison. Prosecutors said the group began acquiring firearms, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones, and other supplies in May. The men communicated through online channels, organized participants into tiers, and held fringe conspiracy theories aimed at destabilizing the government.

Law enforcement learned of the threat on June 10. Arrests followed, with the final defendant, Chandler D. Scaggs, 21, of West Virginia, taken into custody recently. Scaggs was allegedly assigned as a sniper and continued to express interest in the plot after losing contact with a co-conspirator.

Authorities credited tips, including calls from one suspect’s mother, with helping disrupt the scheme before the event. Defense attorneys have indicated they will contest the charges.