Two Charged for Inciting Violence on White Nationalist Platform

Federal prosecutors have brought charges against two individuals for allegedly using a white nationalist online platform to incite violence against minorities and government officials. Matthew Robert Allison, 37, from Idaho, and Dallas Erin Humber, 34, from California, face 15 criminal charges, including solicitation of hate crimes and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.

The indictment, unsealed on September 9, 2024, in the Eastern District of California, alleges that Allison and Humber were leaders of the Terrorgram Collective, a network of channels on the Telegram Messenger platform promoting white nationalism. The accused reportedly took control of Terrorgram in the summer of 2022, following the arrest of the previous leader on terrorism charges.

Prosecutors claim the defendants used Terrorgram to publish a list of targets for their followers to attack, including individuals selected based on race, religion, gender identity, or national origin. The list allegedly contained names, addresses, and photographs of potential victims, with instructions that assassinating these individuals would lead to "sainthood" within the group.

Among the notable facts related to this case:

• Telegram Messenger, the platform hosting Terrorgram, was founded in 2013 by Pavel Durov.
• White nationalism espouses the belief in maintaining a white racial and national identity.
• The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, established in 1957, is involved in prosecuting this case.
• Hate crimes are criminal acts motivated by bias against specific characteristics of the victim.
• Material support to terrorists includes providing communications equipment to designated foreign terrorist organizations.

The indictment alleges that Terrorgram-inspired followers carried out deadly attacks. In October 2022, a 19-year-old from Slovakia killed two people at an LGBT bar before taking his own life. The attacker's manifesto reportedly thanked Terrorgram for inspiration. More recently, in August 2024, a Turkish teenager live-streamed an attack outside a mosque, stabbing five people after posting on Terrorgram.

"These are not mere words."

The defendants allegedly encouraged followers to attack American infrastructure to "ignite a race war and help accelerate the collapse of government and society." This concept, known as "accelerationism" in extremist circles, aims to hasten societal collapse to build a new order. In July 2024, an 18-year-old in the United States, active in Terrorgram chats, was arrested for plotting an attack on an energy facility in New Jersey.

The case highlights the challenges law enforcement faces in combating online radicalization and the use of encrypted messaging apps for extremist communication. Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, emphasized that the indictment represents the department's response to "the new technological face of white supremacist violence."

As this case unfolds, it underscores the ongoing efforts to address the intersection of hate crimes and terrorism in the digital age, presenting complex legal challenges and debates about appropriate charges in such cases.