Suspected Nazi gets federal prison on gun and drug charges while traveling in Texas
Suspected Neo-Nazi Aiden Bruce-Umbaugh was driving through a small Texas town in November when he was stopped by police, who found guns, ammunition and small amounts of marijuana and THC oil in his vehicle.
Bruce-Umbaugh, 23, of Olympia, Washington, initially denied and then later admitted to authorities that the guns and the drugs were his, a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Bruce-Umbaugh was sentenced to more than 2 years (30 months) in federal prison on Tuesday. Bruce-Umbaugh was eligible for a maximum 10-year sentence.
Bruce-Umbaugh was being investigated by the FBI and was dressed in tactical gear when he and his friend, Kaleb Cole, were stopped in Post, Texas in November. Post is about 270 miles west of Fort Worth.
Police found an AR-15 rifle, two AK-47 rifles, a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, at least 1,500 rounds of ammunition, a small canister of marijuana, and a vial of THC oil inside the blue Ford they were in at the time of arrest, the release said.
A video released by federal court officials showed Bruce-Umbaugh tell agents in November, “I assume you’re here because of my swastika flag and my firearms.”
In propaganda material also released by federal court officials, videos depict members of the Atomwaffen Division at self-described “hate camps” practicing hand-to-hand combat and shooting firearms.
“Race war now!” they cry, before one displays a Nazi salute, according to federal authorities.
“The Northern District of Texas is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals,” U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Texas Northern District said after the defendant pleaded guilty. “As a drug user, this defendant should never have been allowed to possess firearms. We’re grateful to our law enforcement partners for helpings us keep this defendant, and his guns, off the streets.”
The case was brought under Project Guardian, the Justice Department’s initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.
“The amount of weapons and ammunition seized from the defendant could have caused serious harm. Luckily, the FBI and our law enforcement partners successfully intervened before an act of violence could be committed,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno said then. “The FBI will continue working with our partners to protect the communities we serve.”
This story includes information from Star-Telegram archives
This story was originally published April 28, 2020 at 7:11 PM.
