Tipster cited drug gang tie in possible July 4 Virginia plot

By DENISE LAVOIE
AP Legal Affairs Writer

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Court documents say a tipster who warned police in Richmond, Virginia, about a potential mass shooting on July 4 told police the man who was planning the attack has connections to a drug gang that operates in Mexico and the U.S. A search warrant affidavit says the tipster identified the man as Rolman “Chapin” Balcarcel Ac. The tipster told police Balcarcel Ac has connections to the Los Zetas criminal syndicate. The affidavit was used to obtain a warrant to search a home in Richmond where Balcarcel Ac lived with a second man arrested in connection with the alleged plot. The only charge against the men is possession of a firearm by a non-U.S.-citizen, although Richmond police have said they could face additional charges.