An FBI logo is pictured on an agent's shirt in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, US October 19, 2021.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Two founders of a militia group who were plotting a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border to shoot at immigrants and authorities who might try to stop them were convicted Thursday by a federal jury in Missouri of attempting to murder federal agents, prosecutors said.
A jury in Jefferson City convicted the men -- Jonathan S. O'Dell, 34, of Warsaw, Missouri, and Bryan C. Perry, 39, of Clarksville, Tennessee -- of multiple felony counts.
Most of the counts were linked to the men shooting at FBI agents who arrived with a search warrant at O'Dell's home. Among other charges, O'Dell and Perry were also convicted of conspiracy to murder officers and employees of the U.S. government, prosecutors said.
They each face a minimum of 10 years in prison and up to a life sentence. Under federal statutes, neither would be eligible for parole. Lawyers for the men could not be immediately reached for comment Saturday.
Beginning in the summer of 2022, O'Dell and Perry tried to recruit others to join what they called the 2nd American Militia, prosecutors said.
In September 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he said that the U.S. Border Patrol was committing treason by allowing immigrants to enter the United States illegally.
In that same video, he said the penalty for treason was death, court records show. In another video, he said he was "ready to go to war against this government."
By late September, the two men stepped up their plans. They continued to recruit, acquired paramilitary gear and practiced shooting at targets, according to officials.
Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he said "we're out to shoot to kill," and added that "our group is gonna go protect this country." In early October, he posted another video. In that one, he said that "we were going out huntin'," and that his militia would go to the border on Oct. 8.
But on Oct. 7, FBI agents arrived at O'Dell's home in an armored vehicle and identified themselves through a loudspeaker. The agents were met with gunfire, officials said, and several rounds hit the vehicle.
The agents did not return fire, and eventually O'Dell surrendered, officials said. Perry was also arrested at the home, but only after he brawled with agents and injured one, according to court documents.
Agents found six guns and 23 magazines filled with ammunition inside O'Dell's home, officials said. The FBI recovered about 1,800 rounds of other ammunition, two sets of body armor, two gas masks, two ballistic helmets and zip ties. Agents also discovered multiple containers of liquids that would explode upon mixing.