Four members of a California militia group associated with the anti-government “Boogaloo” movement were indicted on obstruction charges for a scheme to destroy records related to the shooting of two federal officers in Oakland, the Justice Department announced on Friday.
A federal grand jury indicted Jesse Alexander Rush, 29; Robert Jesus Blancas, 33; Simon Sage Ybarra, 23; and Kenny Matthew Miksch, 21, on charges of conspiring to destroy communications and other records to “thwart” an investigation into the May 29, 2020, drive-by shooting of Federal Protective Service officers in Oakland, acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California Stephanie Hinds and FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig Fair said, according to a news release.
Steven Carrillo, who was an Air Force sergeant with ties to the Boogaloo movement, got charged last year with murder and attempted murder in a shooting that resulted in the death of federal officer David Patrick Underwood. Underwood was standing guard at a federal building with his partner when a passenger inside of a white van opened fire. Underwood died of his injuries, and his partner had serious injuries that required surgery, the Justice Department said.
Another man named Robert Alvin Justus Jr. was charged with aiding and abetting murder and attempted murder in his alleged role as the getaway driver of the vehicle. Carrillo and Justus are believed to have ties to “an extremist ideology that promotes inciting a violent uprising through use of militias,” according to prosecutors.
Carrillo and Justus face the death penalty over the murder charges related to Underwood. Both have pleaded not guilty to federal charges.
Carrillo, 32, was also charged in a separate case related to the killing of Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller and injuring four other offices. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
Charging records for Rush, Blancas, Ybarra, and Miksch allege the men tried to delete messages and other data that would provide proof about their conversations related to killing law enforcement. Prosecutors said they are members of a militia group known as “Grizzly Scouts,” which meets in person for firearms training in its Northern California location.
The men, along with Carrillo, communicated through a WhatsApp chat dubbed “209 Goon HQ,” as well as a Facebook group called “K/alifornia Kommando,” according to the indictment. In one instance, Carrillo allegedly bragged about killing an officer in the WhatsApp chat after Underwood died.
The indictment charges Rush with an additional count of obstruction of official proceedings and Blancas with a count of destruction of records in the proceedings.
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Rush, Blancas, Ybarra, and Miksch face up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine if they’re convicted of their charges, according to a report by the East Bay Times. Court appearances for the four defendants are set throughout the month of April.
