Authorities reportedly charged two alleged Neo-Nazis with breaking into a U.S. Army base to steal gear and assaulting a soldier who questioned them.
Two men in Washington state, identified as Charles Ethan Fields and Levi Austin Frakes, committed the brazen robbery Sunday at Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s U.S. Army Ranger compound, according to a criminal complaint obtained by The Associated Press (AP). The men allegedly used their status as ex-military to gain access to the base and steal military equipment and hardware, The Olympian reported.
The attempted theft turned violent when a soldier confronted the pair, inciting a physical altercation, according to the complaint. One of the suspects allegedly struck the soldier in the head with a hammer, resulting in significant bleeding. The soldier managed to fight back and took control of the hammer before a knife was brandished by one of the men, authorities said, the AP reported. The soldier then allegedly allowed them to escape.
One of the suspects allegedly dropped a hat embroidered with the name “Fields.” Authorities said base entry logs and surveillance footage showed Fields and Frakes to be the intruders. The pair allegedly entered the base together approximately an hour prior to the incident. Law enforcement took the suspected thieves into custody at their Laney, Washington, residence Monday night, Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) Sheriff Derek Sanders said on Facebook.
A search of their home unveiled approximately 35 firearms, including short-barrel rifles, a Nazi German MG42 machine gun and grenade launchers, according to court documents. They allegedly also possessed blasting caps, body armor, night vision equipment, military-grade munition and other gear. Investigators discovered this arsenal stored alongside Nazi paraphernalia, according to Sanders. A photo appears to show a red Nazi flag with a Swastika and a black Waffen SS flag.
Law enforcement suspect both of the accused are connected to the “White Nationalist Socialist Movement (Nazi),” according to court documents reviewed by The Olympian.
The TCSO worked with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) to apprehend the accused, the sheriff said. CID and the TCSO’s SWAT Commander ensured the prompt retrieval of the alleged items.
The men face federal charges of assault, robbery and theft of government property as well as state charges of unlawfully possessing incendiary devices, the AP reported. Authorities are holding them on $500,000 bail each.
