Three Kansas Men Found Guilty of Conspiring to Blow Up a Mosque and Apartment Complex in Garden City
Three Kansas men who were previously charged with conspiring to blow up explosives surrounding a Garden City apartment complex have now been declared guilty by a jury of their peers.
According to a recent report from the Wichita Eagle, the three men — Curtis Allen, Patrick Stein and Gavin Wright — were found guilty of the crimes of conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction and conspiring to violate the rights of the residents housed within the Garden City apartment complex.
A report from The Guardian also noted that the plot involved the destruction of a mosque as well.
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Somali immigrants lived in the apartment complex targeted by the terrorist plot planned by Allen, Stein and Wright.
In addition to the aforementioned crimes, Wright has also been charged with lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
During the trial, prosecutors said that the plot the men had set up involved placing vehicles filled with explosives at the corners of the apartment complex. The men were then planning to set off the explosives as part of their plan to "wake people up."
Assistant U.S. attorney Anthony Mattivi also said during his closing argument that the plot constructed by the accused men would have led to the deaths of numerous men, women and even children who were inside of the apartment complex.
At the time when the plan was still in the works, more than 27,000 residents were housed inside the apartment complex. It was also an establishment known for providing residence to immigrants in the area.
Authorities revealed that Allen, Stein and Wright were planning to execute their plan on the day after the November 2016 presidential election.
The plot was foiled after a paid informant revealed their plans. The informant was a member of the same militia the now-convicted men belonged to. The revelations that came from the informant prompted the FBI to launch investigations looking into the "Kansas Security Force" and "Crusaders" militia groups. The investigations went on for months.
The authorities also said that the convicted Kansas men referred to the Muslim residents of the apartment complex as "cockroaches," and they spoke ill as well of the Somali women.
U.S. attorney for Kansas Stephen McAllister commented on the guilty verdicts handed down to Allen, Stein and Wright, saying that "Today's verdicts are a victory for the rule of law and national security." McAllister also said that the verdicts given by the jury are "vindication" of the work put in by members of the FBI to unravel the terrorist plot and to put a stop to it.
U.S. attorney general Jeff Sessions also commented on the jury's decision, stating, "Today's verdict is a significant victory against domestic terrorism and hate crimes."
McAllister was not able to say at this time which sentence the government would try to purse for the three accused men. It is possible for all three of Allen, Stein and Wright to be sentenced to life in prison.
Sentences for Allen, Stein and Wright are expected to be handed down on June 27.
