By ETHAN LETKEMAN
Article Source
A transgender, male-to-female, militia leader was sentenced to 14 years in prison on four charges related to domestic terrorism in a federal court in Illinois on Monday.
“Emily Claire” Hari, previously known as Michael B. Hari, 51, of Clarence, Illinois, was already convicted and serving a 53-year sentence for firebombing a mosque in Minnesota in August 2017.
Hari pleaded guilty in February to four charges relating to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats and violence, attempted arson, unlawful possession of a machinegun, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
In 2017, Hari founded and led a domestic terrorism group known as the “Patriot Freedom Fighters,” also nicknamed the “White Rabbits.” Fellow members — who are also now convicted conspirators — include Michael McWhorter, Joe Morris, Ellis J. Mack, and Wesley Johnson.
The group’s home “office” was in Hari’s hometown of Clarence.
Hari, McWhorter, Morris, and Johnson attempted to blow up the Women’s Health Practice with a pipe bomb in Champaign, Illinois, in November 2017, but the incendiary device did not detonate. The group intended to set the clinic on fire in the morning, but a receptionist found the pipe bomb on the floor upon arriving and called the authorities.
In December 2017, with Hari’s approval, the conspirators traveled to a Hispanic individual’s house — who they believed to be a drug trafficker — in Ambia, Indiana, and pretended to be law enforcement officials executing a search warrant while wearing their “White Rabbit” uniforms. The armed group broke in and zip-tied the individual and searched his house before leaving.
The conspirators, in December 2017, with the approval of Hari, also committed armed robberies at two separate Walmarts in Illinois, confronting the cashiers for money.
The group also attempted to bomb railroad tracks owned by the Canadian National Railway in January 2018. After their botched attempt, the group sent an extortion email to the company, threatening to blow up more railroad tracks if the company did not pay them $190,000 in cryptocurrency.
In February 2018, the group attempted to set incendiary-device-making materials at an individual’s house in Clarence in an attempt to have authorities investigate the individual. This was before Hari was set to go on trial for alleged assault charges committed on the same individual.
After the FBI investigated the tip, following receiving a tip from Hari, the conspirators became concerned that authorities might seize their weapons, including machine guns. They tried moving the weapons to a fellow militia member’s home, but they were seized by the FBI.
The conspirators, minus Johnson, left Clarence and hid in the woods and abandoned barns while making videos in their militia gear, requesting assistance from other militia groups.
Hari posted a video on March 10, 2018, saying that the authorities were terrorizing Clarence but was arrested just days after, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Prior to Hari’s sentencing, fellow conspirators were also sentenced for their actions in the militia group.
Per the Department of Justice (DOJ):
On April 15, 2022, Johnson was sentenced to 66 months of imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy by U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank in the District of Minnesota. On April 12, 2022, McWhorter was sentenced to 190 months (15 years and 10 months) of imprisonment by Judge Frank on both the Illinois and Minnesota charges. On that same date, Judge Frank sentenced Joe Morris to 170 months (14 years and 2 months) of imprisonment. On March 8, 2022, Judge Mihm sentenced Ellis Mack to 42 months of imprisonment (time served).
Authorities with the DOJ and FBI also commented on Hari’s sentencing.
“Although the militia group started by Hari called itself the ‘Patriot Freedom Fighters,’ the members of the group convicted of federal crimes were not patriots but violent criminals,” said United States Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “Attacking innocent citizens and lawful facilities using threats and violence are not the acts of ‘patriots,’ and this conduct will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Once again, this case exemplifies the extraordinary investigative efforts of the FBI to bring individuals to justice who commit violent crimes.”
“Emily Claire Hari represents the very real threat posed by domestic violent extremists in the United States,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “The FBI’s counterterrorism team is designed to combat this type of violence and is committed to prioritize and gather intelligence to continually assess the threat picture. The FBI’s focus has been and will remain keeping the American people safe from threats or acts of violence.”
Following the firebombing of the Minnesota Mosque in 2017 — which “Emily” Hari was convicted for — the media criticized then-President Donald Trump for his “silence” on the attack.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.