The FBI says it stopped an alleged plot targeting President Trump’s UFC America 250 event at the White House.

WLT Report already covered the broad outline of the alleged drones-and-snipers plot.

Now a federal criminal complaint and affidavit is filling in the darker details of what investigators say was happening behind the scenes.

FBI Director Kash Patel posted the official timeline on June 16, saying the threat first surfaced on June 10.

On June 10, FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat to the UFC America 250 event in Washington, D.C. involving individuals outside of the National Capital Region – and thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of… pic.twitter.com/PbWkIk1Lr5

— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 16, 2026

Patel said rapid action by the FBI, partner agencies, and the Department of Justice led to a multi-state operation.

He said multiple people were in custody and the allegedly planned attacks were “stopped cold.”

CBS News reported that the FBI disrupted the alleged plot and linked to the federal filing charging Tycen Proper.

The criminal complaint lists four alleged offenses: conspiracy, attempted murder of a federal officer or employee, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and receipt or transfer of a firearm used to commit a felony.

The criminal complaint and affidavit says investigators found Signal chats and tactical planning material:

PROPER had become more closed off from his family and spent most of his time online speaking to unidentified persons. PROPER’s family members also highlighted concerning statements he had made in recent months, such as making sympathetic comments about Adolf Hitler and posting anti-Semitic comments on Facebook.

Also on June 11, 2026, a local search warrant was executed on PROPER’s Apple iPhone, which the Knox County Sheriff’s Office had previously seized to preserve evidence.

During a preliminary search of the device, investigators observed chats on Signal groups that laid out detailed plans to conduct an attack in Washington D.C. with several unidentified confederates. In the chat, detailed imagery of the National Capitol Region and maps of the area were shared to a group of which PROPER was a member, highlighting sniper locations, potential drone launch locations, and other detailed tactical planning.

During the interview, PROPER admitted to planning with others a coordinated attack against the United States government during the UFC event scheduled to take place on the White House lawn in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, June 14, 2026.

The filing then described how the group allegedly began and what some members believed.

The name of the online group alone should make every alarm bell go off.

The criminal complaint and affidavit says some participants gathered in a TikTok group called “Vanguard of the Old”:

According to PROPER, some members of the group who would participate in the attack began communicating with one another in or around March 2026 via a TikTok group called “Vanguard of the Old.” The members of the group stated that they wanted to protect the United States, which they believed was headed in the wrong direction.

Members of the group believed that the United States needed to be torn down so that it could be rebuilt. Some expressed a desire that people who were involved with Jeffrey Epstein should not govern the country.

Members shared information with each other on the TikTok group to show their trustworthiness and commitment to the cause, such as identification documents and videos of their abilities and workouts.

Some of the more serious members of the group, including PROPER, moved their communications over to the encrypted communications app Signal. There they planned an attack for the upcoming White House UFC event.

PROPER believed many of the group members had prior military experience. The group was broken up into three tiers, with “Tier 1” having to meet physical fitness standards and acquire equipment such as personal body armor and firearms.

PROPER admitted to being one of the team leaders.

Fox News reporter Bill Melugin posted additional affidavit details Tuesday morning.

He reported that a California man named Michael Alan Thomas was one of the alleged organizers of the alleged plot.

BREAKING: Details via federal arrest affidavit reveal that a California man named Michael Alan Thomas was one of the alleged organizers of the alleged UFC White House terror plot. Feds say he admitted he believes the U.S. government is run by elites who sacrifice and eat… pic.twitter.com/L8i1bTR9Em

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) June 16, 2026

The Proper complaint linked by CBS lays out a tiered structure, firearms, body armor, and Signal planning.

According to the filing, Proper admitted to being one of the team leaders.

The complaint then moves from motive to execution.

The alleged operational plan was not vague.

Nick Sortor highlighted the Epstein-related language from the reporting and affidavit.

That detail matters because it shows how online political conspiracy claims can become something far more dangerous in the hands of unstable actors.

🚨 BREAKING: Organizer of the terror plot against President Trump at UFC Freedom 250 was aiming to OVERTHROW Trump based on "deep involvement with Jeffrey Epstein," per Fox

Democrats keep parroting this lie KNOWING it'll encourage crazies to KlLL Trump. It's EVIL.

Per FBI, "the… https://t.co/PLU7nLxmvw pic.twitter.com/OGpjfwkuO4

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 16, 2026

Investigators say it involved a staged demonstration, drones, explosive devices, evacuation pressure, and shooters positioned where fleeing attendees would be pushed.

The criminal complaint and affidavit described the alleged plan this way:

According to PROPER, the plan as he knew it was to stage a demonstration on the north side of the White House. While the demonstration was taking place, the group would fly small, unmanned aircraft (i.e. drones) laden with unspecified explosive devices which would detonate over the north side of the UFC arena.

When the unmanned aircraft detonated, the intent was to force the crowd attending the UFC event and high value targets (HVTs) to evacuate to the south. PROPER stated that the plan was for members of his group to act as snipers and additional shooters, preferably with long guns, staged at or near the southern evacuation point to conduct shootings of the members of the crowd and HVTs as they fled from the explosive devices which had just been detonated.

The HVTs included both wealthy people and politicians. According to Proper, this attack was designed to “jumpstart” a revolution in the United States.

The search of PROPER’s cell phone revealed chats in the Signal app, consistent with much of what PROPER described. In the phone, investigators could see that there was a primary large chat, consisting of approximately 19 individuals.

Additionally, there were smaller chat groups, consisting of approximately 4-5 individuals. These smaller chat groups were based on role assignments and locations, such as shooters at one location or shooters at another location.

That is the part that makes this different from a vague internet threat.

The affidavit describes an alleged plan with roles, maps, staging, weapons, body armor, drones, and escape thinking.

Proper is entitled to his day in court, and the charges remain allegations unless proven.

But the filing reads like a roadmap to chaos, and Patel says the FBI tore that roadmap up before anyone could follow it.

Below is the full criminal complaint and affidavit as filed, followed by a text-only version for easier reading.

Open the full PDF here.

Text-Only Version

The page images above are the official visual record. The text-only version below is provided for easier reading and may reflect minor text-layer/OCR cleanup from the filed PDF.

AO 91 (Rev. 11/11) Criminal Complaint
AUSATwombly
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
United States of America
V.
Tycen Proper
Defendant(s)
for the
Southern District of Ohio
)
)
) Case No
)
)
)
)
. AA-
CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
I, the complainant in this case, state tfiat the following is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
On or about the date(s) of March 1. 2026 to June 11, 2026 in the county of Knox
Southern District of Ohio _ , the defendants) violated:
in the
Code Section
18U.S.C. §371
18U.S.C. §1114(a)
18U.S.C. §924(c)
18U.S.C. §924(h)
Offense Description
.
Conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States
Attempted murder of any officer or employee of the United States
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Receipt or transfer of a firearm used to commit a felony
This criminal complaint is based on diese facts:
See Affidavit in Support of Criminal Complaint
Continwd os the attached sheet
Sworn to before
"^
a.ffe(/^^
A^~fc^
Complainant 's signalwv
Christopher S. Betts, FBI Task Force Officer
Printed name and title
before meand s^ped in my present^. <jJ ^ A ^
Date: l^v- I 7- ^ ^ 3 ^
City and state: Columbus, Ohfo
Judge 's si
Norah McCann King
Printed name and title
s^

I, Christopher S. Betts, being first duly sworn, hereby depose and state as follows:
INTRODUCTION
1. I am a Task Force Officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI") Joint
Terrorism Task Force ("JTTF, and a Detective for the Columbus Division of Police ("CPD")
Counter Terrorian Unit and have been employed since Decenaber 2015. I am currently assigned
to the FBI’s Cincinnati Division, Columbus Resident Agency, Joint Terrorisni Task Force.
Previously, I graduated from Pemi State University with a Master's Degree in Homeland
Security: Counterterrorism and fiom The Ohio State University with a Bachelor's Degree in
International Studies: Security and Intelligence. During my tenure with fte FBI and Division of
Police, I have investigated and participated in the investigation of domestic terrorism violations
and, among other things, have conducted or participated in surveillances, reviews of records, and
the executions of search and tracking warrants. From these experiences, and fiom training related
to counterterrorism matters, I have become familiar with the ways in which persons conduct
criminal activity online, to include but not limited to, ttie efforts persons involved in such activity
take to disguise operations and avoid detection by law enforcement I additionally have working
knowledge codmg websites, managing small netwoiks, and server management I have obtained
the GIAC Security Essentials Certification from the GIAC (previously Global Information
Assurance Certification).
2. As a Federal Agent, I am authorized to investigate violations of laws of the
United States and to execute warrants issued under the authority of the United States. The
information contained m this affidavit is either personally known to me, based upon my
interview of various witnesses and review of various records and publicly available infonnatioii,
or has been relayed to me by otter agents or sworn law enforcement personnel. Because this

affidavit is being submitted for the limited purpose ofobtaming a criminal complaint and arrest
warrant, I have not included each and every fact known to me concerning the investigation. I
have only set forth facts to establish probable cause for the charges in the complaint.
3. Based on my training and experiexwe and the facts as set forth in this affidavit,
there is probable cause to believe that violations of 18 U.S.C. § 371 (Conspiracy to Commit an
Offense Against the United States), 18 U.S.C. § 11 l4(a) (Attempted Murder of Any Officer or
Employee of the United States), 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) (Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of
a Crime of Violence), and 18 U.S.C. § 924(h) (Receipt or Transfer of a Firearm Used to
Commit a Felony) were committed by TYCEN PROPER.
PROBABLE CAUSE
4. On or about June 10, 2026, at approximately 9:18pm, officers witfa the Knox
County Sheriff’s Office and Danville Police Department were dispatched to an address in Knox
County in reference to a disturbance. The caller, identified as PROPER’s mother, was concerned
about her son, identified as PROPER, due to his recent conduct, including firearms purchases
and communicating with certain individuals online.
Initial Investigation by Local Authorities
5. Officers arrived on scene at approximately 9:38pm and spoke to PROPER and his
mother and father. PROPER is a 19-year-old male who lives at that residence with his parents.
PROPER’s father stated that PROPER had recently met random people online and had been
planning "recons" with these individuals. His father said PROPER has been planning to leave
this upcoming weekend (the weekend of June 13, 2026) to meet up with these online individuals.
His father further stated that PROPER had also recently acquired camping gear, food, ballistic
plates, a new shotgun, a rifle, "lots" of ammunition, extra magazines, and plate camera.

PROPER allegedly spent approximately $3, 000 of his graduation money to purchase the
previously described equipment
6. PROPER’s father stated that, in addition to Ihe above behavior, PROPER quit his
job recently in preparation to meet the individuals he had been interacting widi online to conduct
"missions" and *'recons. w His father did not have any additional information about the identities
of the people with whom PROPER was speaking.
7. The Knox County Sheriff's Office took photos of the equipment acquired by
PROPER, which included several boxes ofanununition (estimated by law enforcement to be in
fhe thousands of rounds of ammunition), two plate carriers with AR-styIe magazines, an AR-
style rifle, and a bullpiy rifle pamted witfi an American flag. The equipment was turned over
voluntarily by the family to law enforcement
8. At the conclusion of the encounter, PROPER was transported by the Knox
County Sheriff’s Office to a local hospital where they submitted an application for emergency
admission based on homicidal ideations.
9. On June 11 , 2026, the Knox County SherifPs Office contacted the FBI as a result
of its interactions with PROPER.
Interview with PROPER’s Mother
10. Also on June 11, 2026, 1 contacted PROPER’s mother for a telephone interview
for additional information. She detaUed that PROPER had recently begun interacting with a
group online that was comprised of individuals who claimed to be ex-military and Christian-
based. She didn't know the name of the group, but they expressed ultra-religious and anti-
government sentiments, specifically citing grievances about government corruption, die handling
of the Epstein files, data centers taking up all the water in communities, and other government

actions. PROPER’s mother detailed that talking with these individuals online has caused
PROPER to lean heavily into his religion, and she believed that those individuals were using
religion to manipulate and influence her son.
II. In addition to the equipment and firearms PROPER had recently purchased, she
stated that she observed him recently engaged in physical training, which she initially thought
was to further his aspirations to join the military or police, but later learned it was related to the
online group he was part of.
12. PROPER’s mother detailed that (be communications with these individuals
largely occurred on his cellular device, and she provided a phone number for PROPER. She also
stated that she recently observed PROPER rcsearchuig and raappsng locations in the area just
northwest of Washington D.C. She stated that she also observed additional images and maps
being sent to him from unknown individuals through texts and Discord messages, and she would
overhear PROPER talking to these individuals verbally on his phone.
13. When she asked PROPER what he was doing, he said he couldn't tell her exactly
what he was doing, but that they were looking at multiple different locations and intended to
conduct ""recon" as well as "hit and run missions. " PROPER’s mother believed "hit and run
missions" meant conducting shootings and then leaving.
Execution of Search Warrants
14. On June 11 , 2026, the FBI, in coordination with the Knox County Sheriff’s
Office, CPD, and Danville Police Department, executed a local search warrant at the residence of
PROPER. While on scene, investigators observed a large quantity of boxes of spent ammunition,
rounds of spent cartridge casings (consistent with ammunition having been fired), and other
tactical clothing. Investigators also spoke to PROPER’s father and grandmother, who stated that

PROPER had become more closed off from his family and spent most of his time online
speaking to unidentified persons. PROPER’s family members also highlighted concerning
statements he had made in recent months, such as mAing syaapathetic comments about Adolf
Hitler and posting anti-Semitic comments on Facebook.
15. Also on June 1 1, 2026, a local search warrant was executed on PROPER’s Apple
iPhone, which the Knox County Sheriff’s Office had previously seized to preserve evidence.
During a preliminary search ofthe device, investigators observed chats on Signal groups that laid
out detailed plans to conduct an attack in Washington D.C. with several unidentified
confederates. In the chat, detailed imagery of the National Capitol Region and maps of the area
were shared to a group of which PROPER was a member, highlighting sniper locations, potential
drone launch locations, and other detailed tactical planning.
Interview of PROPER
16. On June 1 1, 2025, investigators conducted an interview with PROPER at the
medical facility where he was housed. The interview was consensual and took place m an
unlocked room while a case worker was present.
17. During the interview, PROPER admitted to planning with others a coordinated
attack against the United States government during the UFC event scheduled to take place on the
White House lawn in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, June 14, 2026.
18. According to PROPER, some members of the group who would participate in the
attack began communicating with one another in or around March 2026 via a TikTok group
called "Vanguard ofthe Old." The members ofthe group stated tfiat they wanted to protect the
United States, which they believed was headed in the wrong direction. Members of this group
believed that the United States needed to be torn down so that it could be rebuilt Some

expressed a desire that people who were involved with Jeffrey Epstein should not govern the
country. Members shared information with each other on the TUcTok group to show their
trustworthiness and commitment to the cause, such as identification documents and videos of
their abilities and workouts.
19. Some of the more serious members of the group, including PROPER, moved their
communications over to the encrypted communications app Signal. There they planned an attack
for the upcoming White House UFC event. PROPER believed many of the group members had
prior military experience. The group was broken up into three tiers, with Tier 1" having to meet
physical fitness standards and acquire equipment such as personal body armor and firearms.
PROPER admitted to being one of the team leaders.
20. PROPER described the general plan for the attack. All members would leave their
homes on Friday or Saturday (June 12 or 13, 2026) to meet up in Fredericksburg Virginia.
PROPER himself was planning to drive, taking his weapons and body armor, including an AR-
15, all his ammunition, tactical vests, and ballistic plates. He planned to take extra body armor
for other members ofthe group. He also planned to pick up another member of the group on the
way who was hoping to acquire a firearm from a friend or his employer. Investigators have
identified that individual and believe he lives in West Virginia. PROPER said that although he
was not going to the protest in order to shoot people, several other members of the group were
intent on violence.
21. According to PROPER, the plan as he knew it was to stage a demonstration on
the north side of the White House. While the demonstration was taking place, the group would
fly small, unmanned aircraft (i.e. drones) laden with unspecified explosive devices which would
detonate over the north side ofthe UFC arena. When the unmanned aircraft detonated, the intent

was to force the crowd attending the UFC event and high value targets (HVTs) to evacuate to the
south. PROPER stated that the plan was for members of his group to act as snipers and additional
shooters, preferably with long guns, staged at or near the southern evacuation point to conduct
shootings of the members of the crowd and HVTs as they fled from the explosive devices which
had just been detonated. The HVTs included both wealthy people and politicians. According to
Proper, this attack was designed to "jumpstart" a revolution in the United States.
Information Obtained from PROPER’s Phone
22. The search of PROPER’s cell phone revealed chats in the Signal app, consistent
with much ofwhat PROPER described. In the phone, investigators could see that there was a
primary large chat, consisting of approximately 19 individuals. Additionally, there were smaller
chat groups, consisting of approximately 4-5 individuals. These smaller chat groups were based
on role assignments and locations, such as shooters at one location or shooters at another
location. The review of PROPER’s cell phone also revealed group members discussing exit,
escape and evasion resources for the attack, including the location of a potential "safe house,"
and also potential exfiltration or escape routes for members of the group after the attack. Some
plans indicated that members of the group would travel firom the area of the White House to the
Potomac River and travel along the river to escape the area.
23. The review of PROPER’s cell phone also revealed chats in the application
Simplex, wherein PROPER chatted with co-conspirators regarding the attack on June 14, 2026.
In chats on or about May 13, 2026, PROPER stated, "I got a possible target Marsha Blackburn is
senator for Tennessee, " and in response to a question in the chat asking why to attack her, he
stated, "She's taken money from the Israel pro Israel lobby and supports them. " On May 31,
2026, PROPER sent messages, leading with the text, 'These are people we're going to focus

on," and then sent images of U.S. Senator Jim Justice, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, U.S.
Representative Carol MUIer, and U. S. Representative Riley Moore. The four images of these
members of Congress appear to have been taken from the website "TrackAIPAC.com" and
appear to include information about how much money each Congressperson received "firom pro-
Israel PACS."
24. I am aware that a UFC event is scheduled to take place on the lawn of the White
House on Sunday, June 14, 2026. I am aware that the President of the United States is scheduled
to be in attendance at the event. I am also aware, based on news reports and open-source
reporting, that politicians, potentially including members of Congress and Cabinet officials, will
likely be at the UFC event
25. According to employees at a store in Knox County, Ohio, on or about June 5,

         

         
            Load More