5 plead guilty in landmark Antifa terror prosecutions

Five defendants with ties to Antifa pleaded guilty to terrorism charges in federal court last week, admitting they provided material support to a group that attacked a federal facility.

The July 4 ambush on an immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) detention facility in North Texas resulted in a local police officer being shot in the neck.

Defendants Nathan Baumann, Seth Sikes, Joy Gibson, John Thomas and Lynette Sharp entered their guilty pleas of providing material support to a terrorist organization before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Fort Worth, the Dallas Express reported.

Attorneys familiar with federal terrorism cases say defendants convicted of providing material support to a terrorist organization typically receive 15- to 20-year sentences, depending on case facts and the defendant’s criminal history.

“Four months ago, in an attempt to sow anarchy and chaos and to undermine the rule of law, a coordinated attack was carried out on the Prairieland Detention Center, leaving one of our local law enforcement officers injured and a community in disarray,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Acting Field Office Director Robert Cerna.

A federal grand jury in Fort Worth indicted nine North Texas Antifa cell operatives in the attack, while seven others were charged by information, said the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

Counts ranged from rioting and the use of weapons and explosives to providing material support to terrorists, obstruction and the attempted murder of law enforcement officers.

Prosecutors outlined the government’s case linking the defendants who pleaded guilty to a larger network of individuals charged in the attack on the detention center.

Altogether, 16 defendants have been charged, including the five who pleaded guilty, two who pleaded not guilty and another nine defendants who face more serious charges, whose cases are still pending.

Prosecutors allege nine defendants organized a coordinated and sophisticated attack using fireworks as diversions and vandalism to draw personnel outside with the object of shooting officers.

The DOJ said the group communicated through encrypted messaging platforms with auto-delete functions, held firearms training sessions and acquired more than 50 weapons throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area as part of their preparation for the July attack.

The indictment also describes the use of explosive materials, fireworks, tactical gear, including armor-plated vests and medical kits to support the attack.

The five who pleaded guilty this week were charged separately by information, a procedural step that typically signals a defendant intends to plead guilty and waive the right to a grand jury indictment.

The defendants charged by information played supporting roles that included logistical assistance, transportation and participation in the group’s planning and reconnaissance efforts, according to the DOJ.

Federal authorities said the case represents a significant step in an ongoing domestic terrorism investigation involving anti-government and anti-law-enforcement ideology.

“This is the first indictment in the country against a group of violent Antifa cell members,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “The charges the Grand Jury has leveled against these defendants, including material support for terrorists, address the vicious attack perpetrated by an anti-ICE, anti-law enforcement, anti-government, anarchist group.”

The nine other defendants are expected to be arraigned Dec. 3.

Because defendants charged by information typically plead early and cooperate, the five guilty-plea defendants could serve as witnesses against the nine others indicted on more serious counts.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Express reported additional attacks on federal facilities.

On July 7, a gunman attacked agents at U.S. Customs and Border Protection in McAllen, wounding one agent and two officers.

On Sept. 24, a sniper fired at a Dallas ICE facility, resulting in two detainee deaths while wounding another detainee.

In October, an individual identified as an illegal immigrant from Mexico faced federal charges for offering a $10,000 bounty on TikTok for the murder of ICE agents.