Two of the eight men indicted on murder and terrorism conspiracy charges for their alleged roles in a thwarted drone and sniper attack on the UFC cage-fighting show at the White House last month pleaded not guilty Thursday. The accusations detail a truly terrifying plot.
The Charges and the Accused
Tycen Proper, 19, from Danville, Ohio, and Chandler Scaggs, 21, from Chapmanville, West Virginia, entered their pleas before U.S. District Court Judge Edmund Sargus Jr. in Columbus, Ohio. These guys, along with six others, are facing charges for conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official. Judge Sargus set their trial date for September 14. U.S. Attorney Dominick Gerace II summed it up last week discussing the July 9 indictments: "What would have happened or could have happened, that's never going to be clear, because, thank God, there was an intervention here and this thing was disrupted." You can't argue with that.A Chilling Plot Unraveled
The indictment lays out a truly wild story, saying this whole thing kicked off back in May. The group, reportedly fueled by grievances about government corruption, "water-guzzling data centers," and the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files, started building up an arsenal. We're talking money, firearms, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones, medical equipment, and communications gear. Their target? UFC Freedom 250, a cage-fighting show held right on the South Lawn of the White House to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary. Law enforcement officials got wind of the potential threat just four days before the event. Here's the really sickening part: one of the defendants told investigators the plan was to fly explosive-laden drones into the event, then shoot panicked crowd members as they tried to escape. Seriously, what kind of sick mind cooks that up?Nationwide Sweep and What's Next
The Justice Department hit seven people from across the country with charges, with suspects hailing from Ohio, Missouri, Washington, Nebraska, and California. Officials stated these suspects were driven by fringe conspiracy theories, hoping their attack would destabilize the government. Four alleged conspirators charged in Missouri, Nebraska, and California right around the event, plus two more charged about a week later in Washington and Missouri, are still being moved to Ohio. Their cases are consolidated in Sargus' court, and they're likely to face trial together as a group. Scaggs was the last one arrested but was brought to Ohio ahead of the other out-of-state defendants. The stakes are incredibly high in this one. With Tycen Proper and Chandler Scaggs officially pleading not guilty, and five more alleged conspirators still being moved to Ohio, this legal battle is just getting started. All eyes will be on Columbus for that September 14 trial date. What happens next could set a major precedent, and we'll be watching every single update.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.