Active and former US military members, who had spent $87,000 (£55,000) on guns and materials to make bombs with in order to take over US Army posts and assassinate the president, had killed a member and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Associated Press (AP) writes.
In a court case in Georgia, where Pfc. Michael Burnett, 26, was pleaded guilty for the murder his former army comrade Michael Roark and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Burnet said that Roark was killed because he was a ‘loose end’ since he knew about the group’s plans and had left the army.
Mr Burnett said in court: “I don’t know how it got to the point where two people got murdered,” writes CNN.
The leader of the militia called FEAR (Forever Enduring Always Ready) was Isaac Aguigui, an army private who could sponsor the group’s ammunition stock with the $500,000 (around £316,000) he had got from an insurance when his pregnant wife died, according to AP.
Mr Burnett said: “Aguigui introduced me to ‘the manuscript,’ that’s what he called it, a book about true patriots.”
He said the men, who had started out ‘just going out shooting guns’ had formed a group wanting ‘to give the government back to the people’.
Prosecutor Isabel Pauley told a Superior Court judge: “This domestic terrorist organisation did not simply plan and talk.
“Prior to the murders in this case, the group took action. Evidence shows the group possessed the knowledge, means and motive to carry out their plans.”
Ms Pauley said the group, whose members all are tattooed with an ‘anarchy symbol’, had plans on taking over US Army base Fort Stewart by monitoring its ammunition control point, and to bomb the Forsyth Park fountain in Savannah.
The group had also plans to poison Washington State’s apple crop by bombing a dam and eventually take over the government and kill President Obama.
Mr Burnett testified against the leader Mr Aguigui as well as against Sgt. Anthony Peden and Pvt. Christopher Salmon, with whom he had been serving at Fort Stewart.
AP writes that all three soldiers who will be heard on Thursday, are charged with malice murder, felony murder, criminal gang activity, aggravated assault and using a firearm while committing a felony.
Kevin Larson, Fort Stewart’s spokesman, said in a statement that there is an open investigation in the case, but added: “Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield does not have a gang or militia problem.”
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