The Daily Fuckup

A federal grand jury in Columbus returned a two-count indictment on July 9 against eight men accused in a plot the Justice Department says targeted the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House on June 14. Prosecutors say the case centers on allegations that the group prepared for an attack involving weapons, body armor, ammunition, explosives and drones. The defendants are presumed innocent unless the government proves the case in court.

The indictment folds together earlier criminal complaints and arrests that began in June. DOJ says five men were first charged in connection with the alleged plan, then two more were arrested about a week later in Washington and Missouri. This week, federal authorities arrested an eighth defendant, Chandler D. Scaggs, in West Virginia, and brought him into the case.

According to the indictment, the defendants face charges of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official. DOJ says the alleged plan included discussions of attacking government officials and other attendees at the White House event.

The charging papers say the investigation spanned multiple jurisdictions and involved the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service and several U.S. attorney’s offices. They also say the alleged scheme began in online chats and evolved into planning around targets, logistics and escape routes.

What the filing does not do is prove the accusations. It makes them formal. The government now has to test the case in court, where the evidence — not the press release — will decide what sticks.