Aaron Eason in custody for a series of violent attacks.
By Sam Catanzaro
Aaron Eason, a Riverside man has turned himself into the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Westwood headquarters after the Justice Department charged the 38-year-old man with helping to plan and carry out attacks with a Southern California-based white supremacist group.
Eason is one of four Southern California men who allegedly are members of a white supremacy extremist group named in a federal criminal complaint that charges the men of traveling to political rallies across California, where they violently attacked counter-protesters, journalists and a police officer.
On Sunday, October 28, Aaron Eason from Anza surrendered himself to the Westwood FBI offices after federal authorities had put out a warrant for his arrest. With Eason’s surrender, the FBI now has all four men from the extremist group in custody. The three other men are Robert Rundo, 28, of Huntington Beach, Robert Boman, 25, of Torrance and Tyler Laube, 22, of Redondo Beach.
The criminal complaint asserts that the four defendants are members of the Southern California-based “Rise Above Movement” (RAM) group and that they employed the internet “with the intent to organize, promote, encourage, participate in, or carry on riots.”
In addition, the men are also accused of using the internet to coordinate, “combat training ” and “celebrate their acts of violence in order to recruit members for future events”, according to the affidavit in support of the complaint.
“Every American has a right to peacefully organize, march and protest in support of their beliefs – but no one has the right to violently assault their political opponents,” said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. “The allegations describe an orchestrated effort to squelch free speech as members of the conspiracy traveled to multiple locations to attack those who hold different views. This case demonstrates our commitment to preserve and protect the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.”
The four defendants have been charged with violating federal conspiracy and riots statutes in the following incidents.
At a “Make America Great Again” rally in Huntington Beach on March 25, 2017, members of RAM split off from the main demonstration and confronted counter-protesters, where Rundo, Boman and Laube assaulted several people, including two journalists.
“In the weeks following this melee, RAM members celebrated the attacks, which were noted on a neo-Nazi website, and solicited others to attend an upcoming rally in Berkeley, as well as combat training to be held in a park in San Clemente,” a Justice Department press release reads.
At another rally in Berkeley on April 15, 2017, Rundo, Boman and Eason were implicated in a series of violent attacks, which resulted in Rundo being arrested after punching a “defenseless person” and a Berkeley Police Officer.
“In the subsequent months, RAM members celebrated the assaults in Berkeley, which included Boman posting photos of himself attacking people and RAM members engaging in combat training,” the Justice Department said.
Later in the summer on June 10, 2017, Rundo and other RAM members attended an “Anti-Islamic Law” rally in San Bernardino, participating in more violent attacks.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David T. Ryan of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section in the National Security Division of the United States Attorney’s Office.
