Two individuals are facing serious allegations of plotting to create a ‘homeless army’ and take over an island with intentions to exploit its residents for sexual purposes. Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, both hailing from Dallas, Texas, have been accused of orchestrating this plan targeting Gonave Island in Haiti. The charges brought against them in the United States include conspiracy to commit murder, maim, or abduct individuals in a foreign nation, and the production of child pornography involving the coercion of a minor into engaging in sexually explicit activities.
Federal prosecutors revealed that Weisenburg and Thomas devised a scheme that involved acquiring a boat and firearms, recruiting homeless individuals from the District of Columbia to form a mercenary group. One of the suspects even enlisted in the US military to gain combat training in preparation for an armed assault, aiming to instigate a coup on the island, as stated in the indictment.
Situated approximately 38 miles off the Haitian coast, Gonave Island spans around 290 square miles and is home to about 87,000 inhabitants. Legal representatives for the accused individuals announced their intent to plead not guilty. John Helms, representing Thomas, asserted that there was no genuine attempt by his clients to carry out the alleged plot.
Helms expressed skepticism regarding the prosecution’s ability to prove the duo’s actual intentions, highlighting Weisenburg’s brief enrollment in a fire academy for combat training purposes and Thomas’s enlistment in the US Air Force to aid in their planned operation. The indictment also mentioned Thomas relocating to Andrews Air Base in Maryland to assist in the recruitment of homeless individuals in Washington, D.C.
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations, as stated by the US Attorney’s Office. The Air Force has not yet responded to inquiries regarding Thomas’s military service. If convicted, the accused individuals could face up to 30 years in prison for the child pornography offense and a potential life sentence for the conspiracy charges.