A federal grand jury in California returned indictments Thursday against four men allegedly linked to what has been called a white supremacy group who are accused of planning and engaging in riots at right-wing political rallies in the state, prosecutors said.
Robert Rundo, 28, who is accused of being a founding member of the Rise Above Movement, as well as three other men — Robert Boman, 25; Tyler Laube, 22; and Aaron Eason, 38, are charged with one count of conspiracy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said in a statement.
Rundo, Boman and Eason were also indicted on one count of rioting, federal prosecutors said.
The four men were arrested or surrendered in late October. All of them are being held in jail without bail. Attorneys listed in court records as representing Rundo, Boman and Eason did not immediately respond to emails requesting comment Thursday. An attorney for Laube declined to comment.
The Rise Above Movement has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The indictment says that the group "represents itself publicly ... as a combat-ready, militant group of a new nationalist white supremacy/identity movement."
The four men have been accused of traveling to three California cities last year with the intention to incite violence at political rallies, according to a federal indictment unsealed in late October.
The four men used the internet to coordinate "combat training," travel and attendance at political rallies in Berkeley, Huntington Beach and San Bernardino last year, according to an indictment previously filed. They also allegedly planned to celebrate their violence in an effort to recruit more members.
Several members of the Rise Above Movement, or RAM, attended a "Make America Great Again" rally organized by President Donald Trump supporters in Huntington Beach in March of 2017, holding signs that read "Da Goyim Know," an anti-Semitic phrase, according to court documents. Rally attendees attacked also journalists and began fights with counter protesters.
Laube was captured on camera attacking a journalist, according to a criminal complaint.
"Rundo then turned to the second counter-protester, punched him in the back of the head, grabbed the back of his neck, and threw him to the ground, landing on top of him,” the criminal complaint reads. "Rundo then held the counter-protester down with his left hand and threw several punches at the counter-protester's head while other RAM members looked on, cheered, and prevented others from intervening."
The conspiracy and riot charges carry a maximum of five years in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Four other alleged members of the group were indicted on Oct. 10 by a federal grand jury in Virginia.
