Christian Militants Attacked by FBI and Gay Sex Pics
A militant, Midwestern Christian group called the "Hutaree" was reportedly the target of government raids this weekend. Their leader, Raddock "RD" Merzonick, was arrested, and now, their web site is being attacked by internet trolls armed with gay porn.
Like most modern extremist groups, the Hutaree has their own web site and messageboard. One of their online forums is solely dedicated to discussing "being an evil Jew and how we are taking over the world." According to a post on the Hutaree board written by Merzonick, Hutaree means "Christian warrior."
After the FBI raids on Sunday, someone identifying themselves as "Anna" posted a cry for help on the Hutaree web site:
The Federal Authorities have raided not only our group but also the Michigan Militia. They have hijacked their website and placed word there that they were not raided.
We need some help please. This has to stop. I am enroute south with my children using the wifi's as I can.
They were catching others as they came to their rallying points, they broke into homes and took children and used the tasers on wives, my son who is 12 and I got out by crawling through the creeks behind our house.My husband and others are taken, please call the press and tell them, if any in the Michigan Militia is still free please rally with them.
Please help.
We tried emailing Anna, but as of this writing, haven't received a response. Presumably, she no longer has access to "the wifi's." We did speak with Michael Lackomar who described himself as the Livingston County team leader of the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia. Lackomar, who talked to us in between conversations with other media outlets and a trip to the White Castle, said his group wasn't involved in the raids. Lackomar told us that he's the one who posted a bulletin on the Michigan Militia web site that said, "Neither MichiganMilitia.com or the SMVM have been 'raided' by the FBI. We do nothing illegal." Lackomar described "Anna's" comment as "false information" and said that even other militia groups viewed the Hutaree as dangerous wild cards. "me and my unit leader had this discussion earlier where if it had been any other unit we'd have been like 'no way' but with this group you just dont know," he said.
Lackomar said the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia has trained with the Hutaree "on two occasions that I can remember, possibly a third." He told us that the SMVM is an all-inclusive organization dedicated to upholding the Second Amendment and helping the community "in times of trouble, disaster, mayhem" while the Hutaree is a Christian, militant, apocalyptic, survivalist group. "They are very religiously driven, they believe that it is their duty to prepare to assist Jesus Christ when he returns and do battle with the forces of Satan," he said.
For now, the feds are being tight-lipped about the weekend's militia raids. Last night, a spokesperson for the FBI's Detroit field office told us, "the warrants are sealed and no comment can be made at this time... I can only confirm that there was law enforcement activity in the Lenawee and Washtenaw counties." Reportedly, the raids involved FBI and ATF agents in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan and resulted in the arrest of at least seven militia members who were involved in making and selling pipe bombs. Lackomar said his sources told him about raids occurred in Michigan at a wake for a member of the Hutaree who recently died and at the house of RD Merzonick, who he described as the group's leader. Lackomar said he hasn't "heard of" any Hutaree members being involved with pipe bombs. We sent emails to Merzonick and several other Hutaree members, but have yet to receive a response.
As news of the raids spread, the Hutaree's web site was overwhelmed by internet trolls posting gay porn pictures and sacreligious Jesus photoshops. Amid all the pictures of penises and Christ in bondage gear, someone calling themselves "David" posted this ominous message: "Pay attention to the searches going on right now. Lots of men are in the backwoods at the moment. Bunkers exist that'll keep a few for months." They may be under attack now, but if David is right, we haven't heard the last of the Hutaree.
Update: The U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan just released the indictment revealing the names of the nine people arrested in the raids against the Hutaree and the charges against them— apparently,this militia was a family affair.
The indictment describes David Brian Stone, (A.K.A. RD Merzonick, Joe Stonewall, and Captain Hutaree) as the "principal leader" of the Hutaree. Stone was indicted along with his 19 and 21-year-old sons and his wife Tina. Along with the five other Hutaree members the Stones are accused of planning to "kill an unidentified member of local law enforcement and then attack the law enforcement officers who gather in Michigan for the funeral" using "Improvised Explosive Devices with Explosively Formed Projectiles." According to the press release from the U.S. Attorneys office, "eight of the nine defendants are in custody."