Florida man plotted attack; agents found weapons, Nazi propaganda at home, DOJ says
A 20-year-old man from Sarasota has been indicted on federal charges including possessing an unregistered firearm, possessing a firearm with a removed serial number and receiving child sexual abuse material, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida announced Monday.
Investigators also uncovered evidence that the suspect, Lucas Alexander Temple, had been plotting a racially motivated attack when federal agents searched his home in November, U.S. Attorney Gregory Kehoe said in a press release.
What federal agents say they found inside the Sarasota home
According to the indictment and criminal complaint, federal agents executed a search warrant at Temple's home in Sarasota on Nov. 20. During the search, agents recovered a shotgun with a sawed-off barrel that was not registered to Temple.
Federal law prohibits the possession of shotguns with barrels shorter than 18 inches unless they are registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, prosecutors said.
Agents also said they found evidence that Temple had been plotting a racially motivated act of violence. Items recovered included multiple firearms, ammunition, pipe bombs, a pressure cooker, literature on how to manufacture explosives and a written plan outlining his intentions.
Investigators said Temple possessed Nazi and mass shooting propaganda, including the journals of 1999 Columbine High School shooters Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, as well as a large flag bearing the symbol of the new-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division.
Agents further learned that Temple allegedly communicated online with other ideologically aligned individuals about conducting violence against minorities and provided instructions on how to manufacture explosives, according to the release.
Authorities also said agents discovered that, on at least two occasions, Temple received images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
What is the Atomwaffen Division?
The Atomwaffen Division is a U.S.-based racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist group, according to federal officials. The group's targets have included racial minorities, the Jewish community, the LGBTQ+ community, the U.S. government, journalists and critical infrastructure.
Federal authorities said the group's ideology is largely focused on "accelerationism," meaning the goal is to push society into armed conflict in an effort to create radical social transformation.
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office and the Sarasota Police Department.
Federal officials said the prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at protecting communities from violent crime and coordinating resources across multiple federal programs.
Temple had previously been arrested on a criminal complaint, according to the release. If convicted on all counts, Temple faces up to 20 years in federal prison.