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Ohio

Ohio man planned to ambush federal agents, officials say

By David Aaro Fox News
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An Ohio man was arrested last Friday after planning to ambush, kill and rob federal law enforcement agents, the FBI alleged.

Christian Stanley Ferguson, 20, was taken into custody by federal agents at Cuyahoga Valley National Park after he allegedly posted several violent and extremist threats on the cross-platform communication application called Discord.

"He made statements about tactical options for killing multiple targets and the disposal of their bodies. He reaffirmed his plan to ambush law enforcement, kill them, rob them of their weapons, and start an uprising," federal authorities said in a complaint filed on Tuesday.

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Christian Stanley Ferguson, 20, was arrested last Friday after making plans to ambush, kill, and rob federal law enforcement agents, according to FBI.

Christian Stanley Ferguson, 20, was arrested last Friday after making plans to ambush, kill, and rob federal law enforcement agents, according to FBI. (Summit County Jail)

Over several weeks, Ferguson discussed his desire to report a false crime was in progress in order to prompt a response by law enforcement, the complaint said.

He reportedly expressed an interest in getting federal authorities to respond because he believed they had better quality firearms and body armor to steal, according to Cleveland FBI.

After conducting conversations within Discord chatrooms, the Cleveland native met with individuals on several occasions to further discuss his plan, the complaint said.

Ferguson allegedly conducted practice drills with an AR-15 rifle and did some reconnaissance during a test run.

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"He ultimately facilitated a hoax distress call within the boundaries of the National Park to gauge response time by park rangers," the complaint said. "Ferguson believed four federal officers arrived and indicated that if that many officers respond to the real event, they would likely have to kill them all."

Those alleged meetings were monitored by the FBI, according to the complaint.

He was charged with attempted kidnapping and is being held in federal custody since Tuesday, the FBI said. He made his initial court appearance that afternoon in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen B. Burke.

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This case was investigated by the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Rangers, Cuyahoga Falls Police Department, City of Cuyahoga Falls Prosecutor’s Office, and the Cleveland Division of the FBI. It's being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office--Northern District of Ohio.