A Knox County man is among eight people now facing federal charges related to an alleged plot to attack and kill government officials and others attending an Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the White House last month.
Tycen C. Proper, 19, of Danville, and seven others were charged in a two-count indictment returned Thursday in Columbus.
Proper and four others charged federally in Missouri, Nebraska and California were arrested the weekend of the UFC event.
Two more defendants were charged and arrested by the FBI about one week later in Washington and Missouri.
An eighth defendant, Chandler D. Scaggs, 21, of Chapmanville, West Virginia, was arrested this week in West Virginia.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said Scaggs was allegedly going to be one of the snipers in the planned attack. An affidavit says that Scaggs was to be picked up by Proper to travel to Washington, D.C.
Scaggs and others lost contact with Proper after Proper's arrest. But Scaggs allegedly told the group he was still willing to participate in the attack, and made plans to travel with one of the others to the event.
The other people charged in connection with the attack are:
- Abraham H. Alvarez, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska
- Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, of Hamilton, Missouri
- William L.S. Faulkner, 21, of Belfair, Washington
- Jordan W. Rincker, 28, of St. Joseph, Missouri
- Bryan O. Roa, 25, of Calimesa, California
- Michael A. Thomas, 32, of Pinon Hills, California
The indictment charges the eight suspects with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and conspiracy to murder a federal government official.
President Donald Trump hosted the controversial event on his 80th birthday. Also in attendance were Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, along with many business executives and celebrities.
