California man indicted following probe into threats against White House UFC event
A California man is the now the ninth person charged in connection with an alleged plot to attack an Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the White House in June, authorities said.
Christopher Perry, 38, of Rocklin, Placer County, was indicted on Thursday for being a felon in possession of firearms and destroying records in a federal investigation, according to a press statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California.
Investigators looking into an alleged plot to carry out the attack at the UFC event on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14 identified Perry as among a group of people communicating on the encrypted Signal messaging app, according to the complaint filed by FBI Special Agent McKay Campbell. The group also discussed other planned attacks in California against AI datacenters, satellite communication facilities, and a California-based technology company, Campbell said in the complaint.
Perry referred to himself as a career criminal in the group chats, stating that he was "armed," even though he is prohibited from possessing guns after prior felony convictions in Placer and Solano counties, the complaint said.
Seven people have already been arrested and charged for their roles in the alleged plot to assassinate federal officials at the White House UFC event. Court documents say the plan involved staging a demonstration on the north side of the White House and simultaneously flying drones with explosives over the north side of the UFC arena. The drones would detonate with the intention to force the crowd and person who planners called "high-value targets" toward the south side, where snipers and other shooters with long guns would open fire.
Two days before the event, agents contacted Perry at his home and asked him about his Signal account. Perry denied knowing or being a part of any Signal group discussing a planned attack at the White House, but did not consent to a search of his phone, the complaint said. After being ordered to report to his probation officer on June 30, FBI agents searched his home and seized evidence and probation officers seized his cellphone, as well as a second cellphone and laptop from his vehicle.
According to the complaint, after meeting with FBI agents on June 12, Perry tried to destroy evidence by removing himself from the Signal chat group, deleting his Signal account, and removing the Signal app from his phone.
Subsequent FBI search warrants on Perry led to the recovery of multiple firearms and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition, the complaint said. Perry's phone allegedly had pictures and videos of firearms and of Perry holding firearms.
Perry was scheduled for arraignment on Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. PT. He faces maximum sentences of 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and 20 years in prison for destroying records in a federal investigation, along with a maximum fine of $250,000.
