Two defendants deny charges in alleged UFC White House attack plot
Tycen Proper and Chandler Scaggs pleaded not guilty in Ohio to charges tied to an alleged drone-and-sniper plot at UFC Freedom 250.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Two men accused in an alleged plan to attack a UFC event at the White House have pleaded not guilty in federal court in Columbus, Ohio, according to the Associated Press.
Tycen Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio, and Chandler Scaggs, 21, of Chapmanville, West Virginia, entered their pleas Thursday before U.S. District Court Judge Edmund Sargus Jr., the AP reported. Sargus set a Sept. 14 trial date.
The two are among eight men indicted on charges tied to what authorities describe as a thwarted drone and sniper attack targeting UFC Freedom 250, a cage-fighting event held on the White House South Lawn as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.
According to the AP, Proper and Scaggs face the same charges as the six other defendants: conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, and conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official.
The allegations remain unproven in court. A message seeking comment was left for Proper’s attorney, the AP reported. Scaggs’ lawyer declined to comment.
What prosecutors allege
According to the indictment cited by the AP, the alleged plot began in May. Prosecutors say members of the group discussed grievances involving government corruption, data centers that use large amounts of water and the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files.
The indictment alleges the group began gathering money, guns, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones, medical supplies, communications gear and other equipment.
Law enforcement officials said they learned of a possible threat four days before the UFC event was scheduled, according to the AP.
A federal affidavit cited by the AP says one defendant told investigators the plan involved sending drones carrying explosives into the event, then shooting people in the crowd as they tried to escape.
U.S. Attorney Dominick Gerace II told reporters last week, while discussing the July 9 indictments, that authorities may never know exactly what would have happened because the alleged plan was disrupted. Gerace said that based on the allegations, it appeared likely that at least one person was headed to Washington, D.C., to act.
Other defendants
The Justice Department announced charges against seven people from several states, including Ohio, Missouri, Washington, Nebraska and California, the AP reported. Officials said the suspects held fringe conspiracy theories and wanted to destabilize the government.
According to the AP, four alleged conspirators charged in Missouri, Nebraska and California around the weekend of the event, along with two others charged about a week later in Washington and Missouri, are still being moved to Ohio to face the case there.
The cases have been consolidated in Sargus’ court, and the defendants are likely to be tried together, the AP reported. Scaggs was the last arrested but was brought to Ohio before the other out-of-state defendants.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.