A Las Vegas man who reportedly wanted to shoot up area synagogues and a gay bar has been charged in federal court for possessing bomb-making materials.
Conor Climo, 23, a security guard, had allegedly been communicating with a violent white supremacist group called the Atomwaffen Division. According to the criminal complaint, Atomwaffen Division “encourages attacks on the federal government, including critical infrastructure, minorities, homosexuals, and Jews.”
According to court documents, during one of the online conversations Climo discussed in-depth how to construct a Molotov cocktail using gasoline and sulfuric acid. In May, a confidential human source within the FBI reported that Climo discussed setting fire to a synagogue, making Molotov cocktails, and constructing improvised explosive devices. He allegedly told the source that he attempted to recruit a homeless person to conduct surveillance on a synagogue.
In one conversation, Climo is alleged to have wrote, “Hell and White Phosphorus can be made via distilling pee. Add that shit to a good mix of Tiki Torch Oil & Napalm = BBQ Kikes.”
The source claims that when asked if he had done any recent reconnaissance or had any plans in place, Climo responded with “a detailed description of an area around Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas, specifically noting a bar that Climo claimed catered to homosexuals.”
Climo also allegedly discussed attacking synagogues in the area and proposed an attack against homeless people “as a test run for attacks against synagogues and community centers.”
When the FBI searched Climo’s home they found jars of thermite, sulfuric acid, and lithium aluminum hydride, which can be used as fuels. They also said they found electrical components and circuit boards consistent with producing destructive devices.
The criminal complaint says that when arrested by the FBI, Climo discussed a plan to gather an eight-person sniper platoon to attack Jewish people or a synagogue.
“Threats of violence motivated by hate and intended to intimidate or coerce our faith-based and LGBTQ communities have no place in this Country,” U.S. Attorney Nicholas Trutanich said in a statement. “Law enforcement in Nevada remains determined to use the full weight of our investigative resources to prevent bias-motivated violence before it happens.”
In 2016, a local news channel featured Climo in a video that referred to him as a “armed citizen on patrol.” The clip depicts Climo walking around a neighborhood carrying an AR-15, multiple magazines, and a knife.
Climo faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
