COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — 31 men with ties to a national hate group were arrested on Saturday afternoon, blocks away from the Pride in the Park event in Coeur d'Alene. Police found the men hiding inside a U-haul truck after someone spotted them loading up and called to report what "looked like a little army."
Police said they recovered evidence that the group was planning to riot in downtown Coeur d’Alene. All 31 men were arrested on charges of conspiracy to riot.
Those arrested come from 13 states, including Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Michigan, Alabama, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, South Dakota, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas.
Here's what we know about what happened in Coeur d'Alene:
Latest Developments
Saturday, June 18: Video shows hate group before Cd'A arrest in U-Haul
The video posted by the hate group is highly edited. We do not have the raw video and do not know the context of their conversations. But it does give an idea of what was said prior to the mass arrest.
The white nationalist group posted the video last week to Odysee.com. It's a video-sharing site, an alternative to YouTube.
The video captures the hate group's conversations while inside the U-Haul truck. We don't know the full context of what they're saying. But you do hear some comments about what the group was expecting when they got to their destination.
Read the full story here.
Timeline
Saturday, June 11, 1:38 p.m.: Initial call made to 9-1-1
Police were alerted to the group when a concerned person called police around 1:38 p.m. That person reported seeing the group loading into a U-haul that was parked at the Springhill Suites. The group had masks and shields and police said the caller told them it "looked like a little army."
Saturday, June 11, 1:48 p.m.: Police spot U-haul truck, arrest 31 men
Police spotted the U-haul and stopped it on Northwest Boulevard near the skate park and Paul Bunyan, not far from the area where a Coeur d'Alene Pride event was taking place. Police had stepped up their presence in the area during the event.
Police and deputies surrounded the truck and when they opened it up they found dozens of men in the back, all wearing the same clothes, including khakis, with navy blue shirts, beige hats, and a white cloth covering their faces.
Based on evidence collected at the scene and documents police found in the U-haul, Chief White said that they believe the group was planning to riot in several areas of downtown Coeur d'Alene, not just the park.
All 31 men were arrested on charges of conspiracy to riot, a misdemeanor.
Sunday, June 12: Names of 31 men released
According to the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office (KCSO), by Sunday afternoon all 31 men had bonded out of the Kootenai County Jail. Their names are as follows:
- Mishael Joshua Buster - 22 from Spokane, WA
- Jared Michael Boyce - 27 from Soringville, UT
- Nathan David Brenner - 26 from Louisville, CO
- Colton Michael Brown - 23 from Ravensdale, WA
- Josiah Daniel Buster - 24 from Watauga, TX
- Devin Wayne Center - 22 from Fayetteville, AR
- Dylan Carter Corio - 21 from Cheyenne, WY
- Winston North Durham - 21 from Genesse, ID
- Joseph Garret Garland - 23 from Freeburg, IL
- Branden Mitchel Haney - 35 from Kaysville, UT
- Richard Jacob Jessop - 21 from Idaho Falls, ID
- James Michael Johnson - 36 from Concrete, WA
- James Julius Johnson - 40 from Sioux Falls, SD
- Connor Patrick Moran - 23 from Watauga, TX
- Kieran Padraig Morris - 27 from Haslet, TX
- Lawrence Alexander Norman - 32 from Prospect, OR
- Justin Michael Oleary - 27 from Des Moines, WA
- Cameron Kathan Pruitt - 23 from Midway, UT
- Forrest Clark Rankin - 28 from Wheat Ridge, CO
- Thomas Ryan Rousseau - 23 from Grape Vine, TX (Founder of Patriot Front)
- Conor James Ryan - 23 - from Thornton, CO
- Spencer Thomas Simpson - 20 from Ellensburg, WA
- Alexander Nicholai Sisenstein - 27 from Midvale, UT
- Derek Joseph Smith - 24 from Sioux Falls, SD
- Dakota Ray Tabler - 29 from West Valley City, UT
- Steven Derrick Tucker - 30 from Haslet, TX
- Wesley Evan Van Horn - 34 from Lexington, AL
- Mitchell Frederick Wagner - 24 from Florissant, MO
- Nathaniel Taylor Whitfield - 24 from Elk Ridge, UT
- Graham Jones Whitsom - 31 from Haslet, TX
- Robert Benjamin Whitted - 22 from Conroe, TX
31 men arrested inside the back of a U-haul truck in Coeur d'Alene, charged with conspiracy to riot
Sunday, June 12: Idaho governor issues statement on arrests
Idaho Gov. Brad Little issued a statement about the arrests of the 31 men via Twitter, stating that "intimidation, scare tactics, and violence have no place" in Idaho.
Monday, June 13: All 31 men do not appear in court
Court appearances were scheduled for Monday afternoon for each of the 31 men, but KREM 2 confirmed Monday morning that all men will not appear since they bonded out. According to the Kootenai County Jail Inmate Roster, each man's bond was set at $300, as they were all charged with misdemeanors.
All 31 men have until June 30 to contact the court and set up a court date.
KREM 2 learned that Mishael Buster, the 22-year-old from Spokane, will appear in district court on July 18, 2022 at 1 p.m.
Monday, June 13, 11 a.m.
Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Lee White and Mayor Jim Hammond held a press conference on Monday morning to discuss the arrest of 31 men with ties to the white nationalist hate group, Patriot Front.
White also spoke about the arrest and gave minor details regarding the investigation into the incident. During his comments, White said the police department has been receiving death threats through online comments.
Read the full story here.
To watch the full press conference, use the player below.
Monday, June 13
Newly filed Kootenai County court documents detail how much planning and coordination went into the group's attempt to disturb the peace in Coeur d'Alene.
KREM 2 was able to confirm from court documents police seized three vehicles: the U-haul where the men were found, a Ford Ranger and a red Camry.
Coeur d'Alene Police identified the passenger of the U-haul as Thomas Rousseau, who is also the founder of Patriot Front. Officers found several typed documents on him, according to court documents.
One document discussed the group being there to "raise a voice against the moral depravity, which permits events such as this to take place."
Read the full story here.
Tuesday, June 14
Court dates have been scheduled for nearly all 31 men involved in the downtown Coeur d'Alene incident. However, some of the dates have already shifted while other are continuing to shift.
Read the full story here.
Here are the court dates that have been scheduled so far:
July 2022
- Mishael Joshua Buster - July 18, 1 p.m.
- Jared Michael Boyce - July 18, 2 p.m.
- Josiah Daniel Buster - July 18, 1 p.m.
- Connor Patrick Moran - July 18, 1 p.m.
- Justin Michael Oleary - July 18, 1 p.m.
- Derek Joseph Smith - July 18, 1 p.m.
- Dakota Ray Tabler - July 18, 1 p.m.
August 2022
- Nathan David Brenner - August 22, 1 p.m.
- Colton Michael Brown - August 22, 1 p.m.
- Devin Wayne Center - August 15, 1 p.m.
- Dylan Carter Corio - August 29, 1 p.m.
- Winston North Durham - August 1, 1 p.m.
- Branden Mitchel Haney - August 1, 1 p.m.
- Richard Jacob Jessop - August 29, 1 p.m.
- Kieran Padraig Morris - August 1, 1 p.m.
- Lawrence Alexander Norman - August 15, 1 p.m.
- Cameron Kathan Pruitt - August 29, 1 p.m.
- Forrest Clark Rankin - August 1, 1 p.m.
- Thomas Ryan Rousseau (Founder of Patriot Front)- August 1, 1 p.m.
- Conor James Ryan - August 29, 1 p.m.
- Alexander Nicholai Sisenstein - August 1, 1 p.m.
- Steven Derrick Tucker - August 15, 1 p.m.
- Wesley Evan Van Horn - August 29, 1 p.m.
- Mitchell Frederick Wagner - August 22, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, June 14: More information on the Idaho and Washington suspects
In a parcel search on the Spokane County assessor's website, it lists Matt and Diane Buster as the property owners of the address Mishael Buster gave Coeur d'Alene police. It appears they too may be related.
Mishael Buster attended John R. Rogers High School and graduated in 2017. Several reports suggest Mishael and Matt Buster have ties to "On Fire Ministries," which is the church founded by preacher and former Washington state legislator Matt Shea.
Court documents state that Josiah Buster lives in Watauga, Texas. However, Washington voter registration shows Josiah and Mishael Buster are registered at the same Hillyard address.
Read the full story here.
Wednesday, June 15: Records show Idaho man paid more than $2,000 to bail out at least 7 men arrested in Coeur d'Alene
Court documents have revealed new details about the arrest of 31 men who are associated with the white nationalist hate group Patriot Front, including who bailed them out of jail.
Records show that Joshua Plotner, of Craigmont, paid more than $2,200 to bail out at least seven men facing a misdemeanor charge of conspiracy to riot, as reported by our news partners, the Coeur d'Alene Press.
Plotner did not return phone calls Tuesday from The Press.
It’s unclear how — or if — Plotner knows the men. The Daily Beast reported that one suspect told his mother that “anonymous donors” bailed him and the others out of jail.
Thursday, June 16: Idaho man arrested in downtown Coeur d'Alene is an Idaho National Guardsman
21-year-old Winston Durham enlisted in the Idaho National Guard in February 2019, according to Idaho National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Borders. He has also been a member of the ROTC at Washington State University since August 2019.
Borders said Durham's position in the Guard is technically a guardsman, but because he has not completed his required training, he is still listed as a cadet.
Durham was one of 31 members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front who were arrested in Coeur d'Alene on June 11. Police said they were planning to riot near a North Idaho Pride celebration.
Read the full story here.
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