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California

California man with 'boogaloo' extremist group ties charged with stalking, threatening health official

'Boogaloo' is also 'extremists' new slang term for a coming civil war'

By Vandana Rambaran Fox News
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A California man accused of sending one of Santa Clara's top public health officials dozens of threatening letters with the boogaloo insignia, has been charged with stalking and threatening.

ARKANSAS SHERIFF RESIGNS AFTER VIDEO SURFACES OF HIM USING RACIAL SLUES IN SUPERMARKET

Alan Joseph Viarengo, 55, faces two felony counts after prosecutors said he sent 24 letters to Dr. Sara Cody between April 9 and July 29, mocking her handling of the coronavirus pandemic and telling her he posted her address online, NBC News reported.

The letters included a picture of an igloo in the place of a return address and the phrase “Let’s Boogie” written above, according to court documents.

The "boogaloo" is a far-right anti-government movement. The Anti-Defamation League defined “boogaloo” in 2019 as being “extremists’ new slang term for a coming civil war" and noted that the term has been picked up by white supremacists and others.

Police said they witnessed Viarengo drop a letter in a mailbox July 29, which they said was addressed to the doctor. He was arrested almost a month later, on Aug. 27, according to booking records.

Upon his arrest, detectives uncovered a cache of more than 100 firearms, including potential assault rifles, explosives, thousands of rounds of ammunition, tools for manufacturing ammunition, and Confederate flags, according to court records.

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He has a prior conviction for sending threatening letters to law enforcement in 1996, but the conviction was overturned later after a member of the prosecution was accused of ethical violations.