Sovereign Citizen Identified In Texas Mass-Shooting Plot
A Texas man identified in court documents as a sovereign citizen remains the central figure in what authorities say was a planned mass-shooting spree on April 13, the suspect鈥檚 50th birthday.
Steven T. 鈥淒uke鈥� Boehle, of Austin, was arrested on April 12 after federal agents and local police searched a residence in that city where three handguns and 1,100 rounds of ammunition were seized.聽
A second search carried out at a rental storage unit leased by the suspect turned up 10 rifles, according to various media reports.
Boehle wanted to celebrate his 50th birthday on April 13, which he called 鈥淗oly Day,鈥� with a mass shooting, an FBI agent testified at a court hearing according to the .
When Boehle was arrested the day before the planned attack, FBI agents found 鈥渁n expletive-laced note taped to [his] front door that read, 鈥楾he great miracle will take place at 8:30 a.m. on Holy Thursday,鈥欌�� the newspaper reported.
Currently, Boehle is only charged with making a false statement in connection with the attempted acquisition of a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.聽
Because of a 1993 conviction for domestic violence in New Haven, Connecticut, he can鈥檛 legally possess firearms. Boehle apparently believed those federal firearms laws didn鈥檛 apply to him 鈥� a cornerstone for sovereign citizens who live in their own make-believe, antigovernment worlds where licensing, laws and regulations are generally ignored.聽
Boehle hasn鈥檛 been charged with any crimes related to what court documents describe as a 鈥渕ass shooting鈥� plot being investigated by agents assigned to a Joint Terrorism Task Force based in Austin. However, other charges may be in the works.
The suspect鈥檚 initial detention hearing was set for April 20, but federal prosecutors asked for and were granted a continuance to May 1. Such delays routinely are sought when federal investigators are building a case for additional charges or are taking the matter to a grand jury for an indictment.
When FBI agents received the 鈥渕ass shooting鈥� tip earlier this month, they quickly determined Boehle had attempted on 鈥渕ultiple occasions鈥� to purchase firearms from licensed dealers, but was denied because the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) showed he had a criminal record, court documents say.
During the FBI鈥檚 investigation, a confidential informant told agents Boehle 鈥渆xhibits sovereign citizen extremism ideology, and had recently attempted [again] to purchase a firearm, but was denied,鈥� the documents say.
Boehle had asked the informant to video tape his planned shooting spree, court documents say, but they don鈥檛 identify his intended targets.
