Two men charged in what federal prosecutors describe as a conspiracy to attack a White House celebration entered not guilty pleas Thursday as the case moves forward toward a fall jury trial.
Clothed in detention garb and shackled, Tycen Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio, and Chandler Scaggs, 21, of Chapmanville, West Virginia, appeared before U.S. District Judge Edmund Sargus Jr. in Columbus and formally denied the allegations. The two are among eight people indicted in a scheme tied to a cage-fighting event staged on the South Lawn.
Allegations and charges
Federal prosecutors say the defendants conspired to provide material support to terrorists and plotted to commit murder on federal government property — including an alleged plan to kill a federal official. The Justice Department consolidated the matter in Ohio and set a trial date of Sept. 14.
- Indictment alleges the plot began in May and involved stockpiling weapons, explosives and other equipment.
- Prosecutors say the group amassed firearms, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones, medical and communications gear.
- The planned target was a UFC event called Freedom 250, held on the White House South Lawn to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary.
According to the federal affidavit, one defendant told investigators of intentions to fly explosive-laden drones into the crowd and then open fire as people fled. Law enforcement said they detected the threat roughly four days before the scheduled event and disrupted the alleged plot.
“What would have happened or could have happened, that's never going to be clear, because, thank God, there was an intervention here and this thing was disrupted,” U.S. Attorney Dominick Gerace II told reporters last week.
Court setting and procedural notes
Both defendants appeared without comment after the hearing, and attorneys for Proper and Scaggs declined to speak to reporters. The case includes several co-defendants from across the country; federal prosecutors have described a mix of grievances that allegedly motivated the group, citing government corruption, the operation of large data centers, and dissatisfaction with government handling of certain high-profile matters.
| Name | Age | Hometown | Plea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tycen Proper | 19 | Danville, Ohio | Not guilty |
| Chandler Scaggs | 21 | Chapmanville, W.Va. | Not guilty |
Prosecutors say the alleged conspiracy involved fundraising and the accumulation of materials over weeks. The indictment identifies plans to deploy drones and conduct an accompanying armed assault, raising the specter of mass casualties at a high-profile presidential event.
The case will proceed through pretrial motions and discovery in the coming weeks. With a Sept. 14 trial date on the calendar, the proceedings are likely to involve classified or sensitive security evidence and close coordination among federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies that helped uncover and halt the alleged preparations.
As the legal process unfolds, the charges underscore lingering concerns among federal officials about homegrown plots and the evolving dangers posed by tools such as drones in attacks on public gatherings and symbolic targets.
