Justice Department charges two more in alleged plot to attack White House UFC event

By Holmes Lybrand, Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN

(CNN) — Two more men have been charged in the alleged plot to attack the UFC White House fight earlier this month, providing new insight on how far in preparation the Justice Department believes the group came in carrying out the would-be attack.

One man, who was arrested Sunday at his mother’s home in Missouri, told officers he felt he had “armed a terrorist,” according to a new criminal complaint.

The man, Jordan Rincker, allegedly gave another defendant in the case a firearm in exchange for money, a computer and a 3D printer to help build drones rigged with explosives.

Rincker, according to the complaint, told law enforcement he had been lying to the group and didn’t know how to build drones and had no explosives.

Another man whose criminal complaint was released Monday, William Lee Spartacus Falkner, spoke at length in a group chat with several other defendants about how he could rig drones with explosives, which explosives would be best to cause maximum damage, and how they could purchase the drones and other parts.

Both Falkner and Rincker made their initial appearances in federal court Monday, according to the Justice Department. CNN has reached out to their attorneys.

Efforts to get drones

In early June, when one person from the group warned they had a week before the UFC fight to get drones – adding that, “It’s gonna be a f*cking bloodbath (heartface emoji)” – Falkner replied they had five drones so far, according to the complaint.

“We’re looking at 200-300$/drone if you want this done right,” Falkner allegedly told one of the groups, adding that they should purchase specific drones that can’t be remotely jammed by law enforcement and can carry “at least 12 pounds.”

The complaint quotes messages allegedly from Falkner discussing how he alone could control over 40 drones at a time and what explosives they should use for maximum damage but does not say if Falkner had any drones or explosives in his possession.

When news of the first spate of arrests over the alleged plot were first reported and announced by FBI Director Kash Patel last week, Falkner allegedly sent a message over Instagram.

“Work trip is canceled. My boss got picked up,” Falkner wrote, with a news article on the arrests attached, the complaint says.

“In the article I sent you it mentions the involvement of everyone but me and the people you already know,” Falkner allegedly added. “Because we took precautions. My phone is jailbroken btw.”

According to the complaint, Falkner also wrote that “we didn’t trust my boss to do this right going into everything” and that “we all felt something was going wrong.”

Falkner allegedly said he was “still being paid.”

‘Armed a terrorist’

In the days leading up to the UFC event, Rincker was added to a private chat – discussing plans to attack the UFC fight using drones rigged with explosives and snipers – by another defendant and alleged leader of the group, Abraham Alvarez, the complaint says.

Alvarez introduced Rincker in the group as “our manufacturer” and Rincker himself said he could help make small drones rigged with explosives, according to the complaint.

Alvarez gave Rincker a 3D printer, shield, night vision goggles, over $1,000, and a Mac minicomputer, according to the complaint.

Rincker later told Alvarez he found explosives and sent pictures of the 3D printer to Alvarez, adding that it was working “like a damn champ brother.” Rincker also allegedly shared with others what law enforcement believes was a proposed plot by Alvarez to attack a FIFA World Cup game in Missouri in early July.

Rincker told the agents he knew why they were there, that he had no explosives, and had only drove to meet Alvarez because he wanted a friend.

“I’m a real idiot for not stepping aside the moment he said what he wanted. But it’s what you guys know,” he told investigators, according to the complaint. He also allegedly said he “armed a terrorist” by giving his shotgun to Alvarez.

Rincker also said, according to the complaint, when asked about his idea to the group of using PVC pipe in building drones, that he “was just giving them bullsh*t ideas to make them think I was building a drone” and planned to just pocket the money and keep the printer.

“Rincker stated that Alvarez gave him the 3D printer to make drones,” the complaint states, “and that he didn’t know if Alvarez wanted him to load the drones with explosives, but ‘from the sounds of everything, that’s probably where this [was] leaning.’”

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