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Photo by Jim Purcell
Three Kansas men were arrested on Federal charges. |
By JIM PURCELL
According to the United States Justice Department Office of Public Affairs, three Kansas men, Curtis Allen and Gavin Wright, both 49, and Patrick Eugene Stein, 47, could face a charge of conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives), as it involved an alleged plot to detonate explosions outside of an apartment complex in Garden City, Kansas. Reportedly, a number of Somali and Muslim immigrants live and worship very nearby.
The prosecutors for the case, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin and Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall of the District of Kansas, are bringing the matter to court for the state.
Carlin said the charges are based on an eight-month-long investigation into the group that Allen, Wright and Stein belong to, which is known as the "Crusaders."
Beall stated that this could very well be a matter of ferreting out domestic terrorists. He noted, "Protecting our nation from such attacks, whether they are rooted in domestic or international terrorism, is our highest priority."
According to the criminal complaint against the three Crusaders, the group conducted surveillance "to identify potential targets, stockpiled firearms, ammunition and explosive components, and planned to issue a manifesto in conjunction with the planned bombing."
If convicted of all charges, the men face a maximum sentence of life in prison within the Federal Prison System.
Investigating agencies included: the FBI, Liberal Police Department, the Seward County Sheriff's Office, the Ford County Sheriff's Office, the Dodge City Police Department, the Finney County Sheriff's Officer and the Kansas Highway Patrol, among others.
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