Federal Grand Jury Indicts Four Members of White Supremacy Group on Charges Stemming from Attacks at Political Rallies

          LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury this afternoon returned a two-count indictment that charges four Southern California men linked to a white supremacy extremist group with planning and engaging in riots at political rallies across California.

          The four defendants – all of whom are in federal custody, currently being held without bond – are charged with conspiracy for their activities in connection with the white supremacist organization known as the Rise Above Movement, or RAM. “RAM represented itself publicly as a combat-ready, militant group of a new nationalist white supremacy and identity movement,” according to the indictment.

          The four defendants named in the indictment are:

    Robert Rundo, 28, of Huntington Beach, allegedly a founding member of RAM;

    Robert Boman, 25, of Torrance;

    Tyler Laube, 22, of Redondo Beach; and

    Aaron Eason, 38, who resides in the Riverside County community of Anza.

          All four defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy. Rundo, Boman and Eason are additionally charged with one count of rioting

          The four defendants are scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment later this month, starting with Rundo on November 9.

          According to the indictment, the four men participated the conspiracy in varying ways, including by engaging in recruitment of RAM members, coordinating and participating in hand-to-hand and other combat training, traveling to political rallies to attack protesters and other persons, and publishing photographs and videos of violent acts to recruit other members for future events.

          The indictment alleges that various members of the conspiracy directly participated in attacks at political rallies in Huntington Beach on March 25, 2017; in Berkeley on April 15, 2017; and in San Bernardino on June 10, 2017. In the months following these events, the defendants allegedly trained for future events and celebrated their assaults, which included online posts with photos of RAM members assaulting people.

          An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

          Both the conspiracy and riots charges in the indictment carry statutory maximum sentences of five years in federal prison.

          This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

          This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David T. Ryan of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section in the National Security Division of the United States Attorney’s Office.

          Today’s indictment follows the filing of an indictment in United States District Court in Charlottesville, Virginia that charges four other California RAM members with violating the riots statute during violent altercations in Charlottesville in August 2017.