WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on the arrest of three men accused of plotting to attack Somali immigrants in Kansas (all times local):

11:05 a.m.

Three men accused of plotting to attack Somali immigrants in western Kansas have appeared in court and been appointed lawyers.

Magistrate Judge Gwynne Birzer on Monday ordered Curtis Wayne Allen, Patrick Eugene Stein and Gavin Wayne Wright to remain in custody after federal prosecutor Anthony Mattivi said they pose a danger to the community. Birzer scheduled detention hearings for Stein and Wright for Friday and for Allen next Monday.

Prosecutors allege that the men are members of a small militia group calling itself “the Crusaders,” whose members espouse sovereign citizen, anti-government, anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant extremist beliefs. They allege the men planned to detonate truck bombs around a small Garden City apartment complex where about 120 Somalis live and that they had discussed attacking area churches that helped settle the refugees and get them jobs.

The trio is charged in a criminal complaint that was unsealed Friday with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction. Their attorneys declined to comment after the brief hearing in Wichita.

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7:15 a.m.

Three men accused of plotting to target Somali immigrants in a diverse western Kansas community remain in custody for now following their first federal court appearances.

Federal prosecutor Anthony Mattivi told a magistrate judge that the three men pose a danger to the community.

Curtis Wayne Allen, Patrick Eugene Stein and Gavin Wayne Wright are charged in a complaint unsealed Friday with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction.

Defense attorneys declined comment.

Magistrate Judge Gwynne Birzer scheduled detention hearings for Stein and Wright on Friday. Allen’s detention hearing is next Monday.

A preliminary hearing was set for Oct. 28, although lawyers told the court they anticipate that hearing will not be needed because a grand jury will likely hand down an indictment before then.

The complaint says the men are members of a small militia group calling itself “the Crusaders,” and that its members espouse sovereign citizen, anti-government, anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant extremist beliefs.

Prosecutors allege the men planned to detonate truck bombs around a small Garden City apartment complex where about 120 Somali residents live. Authorities say the men talked of attacking area churches that helped settle refugees and get them jobs.

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WICHITA— Three southwest Kansas men accused in bomb plot on a Garden City apartment complex are due in Federal Court on Monday.

On Friday, Federal prosecutors announced charges related to a planned attack on the Somali immigrant community in Garden City.

Following an 8-month investigation, Curtis Allen 49, Liberal, Gavin Wright, 49, Liberal, and Patrick Stein, 47, Wright, were charged with domestic terrorism according to acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.

They are being held in the Sedgwick County Jail.

From the Federal Affidavit:

 BACKGROUND OF CASE
7. This investigation began based on reporting from a reliable, paid Confidential Human Source (CHS) who has attended numerous KSF and Crusaders meetings where plans were discussed to carry out a violent attack against Muslims (whom the group members refer to as “cockroaches”) in southwestern Kansas. These groups meet in person frequently, as often as once per week, and also engage in frequent communication daily through a telephone application (app) called Zello. Information provided by the CHS has been verified at least seventeen times through consensual monitoring of phone calls and messages, as well as recordings of meetings made when the CHS was wearing a body recorder. The CHS has been corroborated multiple times by another FBI CHS who has provided reliable information in the past and on another occasion by a trusted local law enforcement agency source. On at least one occasion a local law enforcement officer provided information consistent with CHS reporting over several topics. The CHS has been further corroborated through social media and open source reporting.
8. Through recordings, CHS cooperation and reporting, and open source and social media investigation, STEIN, ALLEN, and WRIGHT have been identified as members of the aforementioned militia groups. They have also been determined to be the primary architects of the attack plan. STEIN has been identified as a leader within the KSF and participated in meetings of the Crusaders. ALLEN is a close associate of STEIN’s, has been identified as a leader within KSF, and has led meetings of the Crusaders. WRIGHT is also a member of both groups and has been participating in the planning of the attack. Though they are still part of the larger militia group, STEIN, ALLEN, and WRIGHT have branched off to form their own subgroup to plan and carry out this attack, bringing the CHS along with them.

PROBABLE CAUSE
9. The investigation to date has revealed that KSF/Crusaders members Patrick
STEIN, Curtis ALLEN, and Gavin WRIGHT are conspiring to carry out a domestic terrorist attack by using an improvised explosive device (IED) to destroy an apartment complex located at 312 West Mary Street, Garden City, Kansas, which contains a mosque and is home to many Muslims. Their activities have demonstrated, and continue to demonstrate, actions taken in furtherance of this scheme. Their rhetoric and their speech have revealed a hatred for Muslims, Somalis, and immigrants. They chose the target location based on their hatred of these groups, their perception that the people represent a threat to American society, a desire to inspire other militia groups, and a desire to “wake people up.”
10. According to CHS reporting, STEIN has participated in at least three different group surveillances on potential target locations around Garden City and other parts of southwestern Kansas. These surveillances were conducted on an African store, a Somali mall, and a mosque located in an apartment complex, as well as on various vehicles believed to contain Somalis or Muslims. On one such surveillance in February 2016 when the CHS was driving STEIN around, STEIN at various times yelled at Somali women dressed in traditional garb, calling them “Fxxx raghead bitches.” STEIN also referred to Somalis as “cockroaches” and said several times that they needed to eliminate the Somalis.

During the surveillance, STEIN had with him a pistol, an assault rifle with several magazines, a ballistic vest, and a night vision scope. He also mentioned to the CHS that he had done several surveillances like this on his own in the past and that he always made sure he was armed. STEIN also discussed the Oklahoma City bombing and how he had the same explosives components on his farm (diesel and ammonium nitrate). He was looking for any more explosives or things he could use to blow things up.

 

During a Friday news conference, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beal reported the government alleges the men conspired to bomb
an apartment complex in the 300 Block of West Mary Street in Garden City.

Muslim immigrants from Somalia live and worship at the complex.

The government says the suspects conducted survelliance to size up potential targets and stockpiled ammunition, firearms and explosive components.

They also prepared a manifesto describing their beliefs to be published after the bombing.

One suspect told investigators “The bombing would wake people up.”

The defendants were members of a small group they called the Crusaders and they formed a plan for a violent attack, according to Beall.

“They considered a variety of targets including churches and public officials who had expressed support for Somalis.

The suspects discussed obtaining four vehicles, filling them with explosives and parking them at the four corners of the apartment complex to create a large explosion.

The men were arrested on Friday morning in Liberal. If convicted they could face life in prison, he said.