The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada said in a statement on Friday that a Las Vegas security guard is facing federal charges for allegedly possessing an unregistered firearm and the components of an explosive device. Prosecutors also say he discussed attacking a synagogue and a bar they described as popular with the LGBTQ community.
The man, Conor, 23, was arrested Thursday morning at his Las Vegas home after an investigation led by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, according to the statement.
According to Time, investigators monitored encrypted online messages between Conor and members of the National Socialist Movement, a white supremacist group. Prosecutors say he allegedly discussed attacking a Las Vegas synagogue and making explosive devices such as firebombs. The criminal complaint says the messages included racist, homophobic and anti Semitic slurs and described “conducting surveillance” at a bar he believed was a meeting place for the LGBTQ community.
The case also drew attention to a 2016 report from KTNV in Las Vegas that showed Conor patrolling his neighborhood in battle gear while carrying a rifle and a knife. Neighbors voiced concern at the time, but he was not arrested. Las Vegas police officer Aden Ocampo Gomez noted Friday that Nevada is an open carry state and that Conor broke no laws at that time.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Koppe ordered him held in federal custody ahead of an August 23 court appearance on the firearms charge. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Court documents at the time did not include a public response from Conor. These are allegations from prosecutors and a criminal complaint, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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