A Chicago resident faces charges after federal agents said he played a role in a potential plot to attack the White House during the recent UFC event on the lawn.
Alexander Iniguez Mercado pleaded not guilty in court Friday to charges of obstruction of justice.
Federal officials said Mercado was an administrator of the alleged plot, and communicated with alleged co-conspirators over Signal.
An indictment alleges an FBI talked to Mercado on the phone the day before the planned attack and asked if he was going to Washington and taking part, but Mercado denied it. The government alleged he obstructed justice when he then “uninstalled the Signal application on his phone, which caused the data on his phone relating to those messages to become unavailable,” the indictment states.
Mercado is the eighth individual to be charged in connection with the alleged group terror plot. According to previous indictments, the FBI said the group had elaborate plans, including using “…drones to attack the event on one side to force those in attendance to try to exit from the other side of the event where they could be shot by coconspirators with sniper rifles and other weapons.”
Federal officials allege Mercado contacted a high-level co-conspirator to warn him the FBI was on their trail. That individual remains at large, they said.
An attorney for Mercado denied he was part of any terror plot, and said someone in the group chat made “an offhanded comment about survivalism” and Mercado “freaked” when he was contacted by the FBI.
“Obstructing justice in a law enforcement investigation into a planned violent domestic attack is a profoundly serious offense,” said embattled U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros. “The investigation in this case involved serious threats to public safety, including the safety of President Donald J. Trump, the 45th and 47th President of the United States of America, other members of government, as well as the many attendees and athletes who attended the event at the White House.”
Mercado was previously arrested by Chicago police in October on battery charges, but the case was ultimately dropped.
He appeared emotional and nervous during the hearing, often shaking his head and visibly crying.
Mercado is set to appear before a Magistrate Judge at a hearing on June 30 to determine whether he should be in prison awaiting his trial. He faces a sentence of up to 20 years if convicted.
from NBC Chicago https://ift.tt/AjVQO2T
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