A Tennessee militia member who advised an undercover federal agent that the U.S. is “being invaded” by migrants was planning to journey to the southern border with a stockpile of weapons and commit acts of violence towards federal border brokers, in accordance with a felony grievance.
Paul Faye, of Cunningham, was arrested in Tennessee on Monday by the FBI after a virtually yearlong investigation and charged with promoting an unregistered firearm suppressor (silencer). He faces a most sentence of 10 years in jail if convicted on the cost, in accordance with the grievance filed this week by federal prosecutors in Nashville.
Faye will seem in federal court docket on Feb. 12 for a detention listening to. His arrest was first reported by the net publication Court docket Watch.
The grievance mentioned Faye attracted the eye of federal investigators once they observed he had “in depth contact” with Bryan C. Perry, a Tennessee militia member who authorities mentioned was planning a violent battle with Border Patrol brokers earlier than his arrest in 2022.
Perry, of Clarksville, Tennessee, has been charged with conspiring to kill federal brokers. Federal investigators mentioned Perry tried to recruit members to his militia to journey to the border to shoot migrants and federal brokers. Perry allegedly fired at FBI brokers who traveled to Missouri to arrest him in October 2022.
Faye had supposed to journey to the border with Perry earlier than Perry’s arrest, in accordance with the grievance, which didn’t establish by identify the militia or militias Faye is accused of being related to.
A public defender representing Faye did not instantly reply to an electronic mail message searching for remark Tuesday afternoon.
Faye had a stockpile of weapons at his Tennessee house and advised an individual working undercover for the FBI that he had a substance referred to as Tannerite, which can be utilized to make land mines, in accordance with the grievance. Faye advised the spy throughout an preliminary assembly in March 2023 that he believed the U.S. authorities “was coaching to tackle its residents” and purposely permitting migrants to cross the border “to assist the federal government,” the grievance mentioned.
In a Might 2023 telephone name, Faye advised the agent that “the patriots are going to stand up as a result of we’re being invaded,” alluding to migrants crossing the southern border. Faye additionally mentioned he deliberate to take explosives to the border and function a sniper with a militia group touring there, the grievance mentioned.
In mid-December 2023, Faye advised an spy throughout an in-person assembly he “mentioned coordinating with militia teams from Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee,” in accordance with the grievance.
The grievance says Faye advised the agent “his hope is ‘to fire up the hornet’s nest’ on the border in order that others will are available to supply additional assist. Particularly, Faye said, “Properly, I will let you know … what is going on to occur. What I hope occurs. Is known as a domino impact. I would like, I would like the information to seek out out about it. The proper of reports.'” Â
Faye invited the spy to his house on Jan. 11, in accordance with the grievance, the place the agent noticed Faye’s cache of weapons, ammunition and a bulletproof vest, the grievance mentioned. Throughout that assembly he “mentioned the plan to journey to the U.S./Mexico border and indicated the will to commit acts of violence,” the grievance mentioned.
Faye later offered the spy an unregistered firearms suppressor with no serial quantity for $100, the grievance mentioned.
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