Nine members of a Michigan-based Christian militia group have been indicted on sedition and weapons charges in connection with an alleged plot to murder law enforcement officers in hopes of setting off an anti-government uprising.In court filings unsealed Monday, the Justice Department accused the nine people of planning to kill an unidentified law enforcement officer, then plant improvised explosive devices of a type used by insurgents in Iraq to attack the funeral procession.
Eight of the defendants were arrested over the weekend in raids in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. A ninth remained at large, the Justice Department said...
A Web site for the Hutaree group talks about a coming battle against the putative forces of the Antichrist but does not appear to focus explicitly on recent political events.
The Web site, which describes the group as “preparing for the end times,” featured video clips of people running through woods in camouflage gear and firing assault rifles, along with links to gun stores and far-right media. It also features an elaborate system of military ranks for its members. The site says it coined the term Hutaree, intended to mean Christian warrior.
The NYT has a .pdf of the indictment if you want to read it.
Gawker adds:
As news of the raids spread, the Hutaree's web site was overwhelmed by internet trolls posting gay porn pictures and sacreligious Jesus photoshops. Amid all the pictures of penises and Christ in bondage gear, someone calling themselves "David" posted this ominous message: "Pay attention to the searches going on right now. Lots of men are in the backwoods at the moment. Bunkers exist that'll keep a few for months." They may be under attack now, but if David is right, we haven't heard the last of the Hutaree.
TPM has photos and video.
