White Supremacists Charged in Alleged Plot to Bomb Black Churches and Jewish Synagogues

The men were apparently planning to kick off a "race war."

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Complex Original

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Three Virginia men described by local authorities as white supremacists were taken into custody earlier this week after allegedly plotting to carry out a series of violent acts aimed at black churches and Jewish synagogues in an effort to incite a "race war," reports WTVR. "I walked to the end of the cul-de-sac, and saw 15 police cars, marked and unmarked, and K-9s searching," a neighbor told reporters, describing the swarm of federal agents who descended upon a home inChesterfield that reportedly served as the hate group's usual meeting spot. "There were people wearing camo and carrying big weapons."

Federal documents cited by WTVR reveal that Robert Doyle and Ronald Beasley Chaney (and "others") apparently followed a "supremacist version" of the Asatru faith, a belief system that a quick googling reveals started gaining traction back in the 1960s. Authorities also believe that Doyle met up with another individual, Charles Halderman, to plan the murder of a local jewelry shop owner, the robbery of an armored vehicle, and the "harm" of a gun store owner. "With all the allegations in there, this one charge is just the tip of the iceberg," Todd Stone, resident legal expert at CBS 6, explains. "I expect other serious charges."

The group’s plans for a series of violent acts and sporadic robberies were reportedly devised to raise money for some sort of training ahead of the aforementioned "race war," though the logistics of that plan seem downright baffling. All three men have been charged, with the Associated Press reporting that Doyle and Chaney have been charged with conspiracy to possess firearms after being convicted of felonies. Halderman has been charged with robbery conspiracy, stemming from his participation in planning the aforementioned jewelry theft to boost their "race war" funds.

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