The leaders of a white supremacist chat group, known as the "Terrorgram," have been charged by the DOJ for promoting hate crimes and murders.
Officials claimed that the pair communicated via Telegram to share bomb-making instructions and a list of potential assassination targets.
On Monday, federal prosecutors charged two individuals for their alleged participation in a white supremacist Telegram group that spread hateful content and incited a race war.
The Department of Justice announced that Dallas Humber, 34, of Elk Grove, California, and Matthew Allison, 37, of Boise, Idaho, have been charged with a 15-count indictment for soliciting hate crimes, soliciting the murder of federal officials, and conspiring to provide material support for terrorists.
Law enforcement officials arrested Humber and Allison on Friday, the DOJ said.
The "Terrorgram Collective," a transnational terrorist group, was led by Humber and Allison, according to the indictment.
The channel was utilized to advertise "white supremacist accelerationism," which posits that violence and terrorism are essential to spark a race war and hasten the fall of the government and the emergence of a white ethnostate.
The two were charged with inciting followers through their Telegram channel to attack perceived enemies of white people, including government buildings, energy facilities, and high-value targets, such as politicians.
Prosecutors claimed that the group's incitement to violence included phrases such as "Take Action Now" and "Do your part." Additionally, users who engaged in actions to promote white supremacy were praised as "Saints."
The pair used the app to transmit bomb-making instructions and to distribute a list of potential targets for assassination, including a federal judge, a senator, and a former U.S. attorney, and to celebrate acts or plots from active "Terrorgram" users, according to DOJ officials.
"The Attorney General stated that committing hate-fueled crimes online will not go unpunished, and soliciting terrorist attacks through the internet will not provide protection. The Department of Justice will track down and prosecute those responsible."
In a Sacramento courtroom on Monday, Humber pleaded not guilty to the charges. Planet Chronicle Digital contacted her attorney for comment.
It was unclear if Allison had a lawyer to represent him.
Telegram was contacted by Planet Chronicle Digital, but no immediate response was received.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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