A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison Friday after he plotted to ambush his unit and illegally shared classified information with a violent transnational extremist organization, of which he was a member.
Ethan Melzer “infiltrated” the U.S. Army in service of the Order of Nine Angles (O9A), a violent neo-Nazi, Satanist group that seeks the destruction of Western civilization, plotting a jihadist attack on his unit ahead of a planned deployment to Turkey, attorney Damian Williams said in a Department of Justice (DOJ) statement. Melzer pleaded guilty in June 2022 for attempted murder, providing material support to terrorists and disclosing protected national security information to O9A and jihadist members abroad.
“Today’s sentence holds Mr. Melzer accountable for an egregious and shameful act of betrayal against his own military unit and his country,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said in the statement. “The Justice Department will use all available resources to disrupt and bring to justice those who would aid foreign terrorist organizations and use violence to harm our men and women in uniform or any American anywhere.” (RELATED: FBI Whistleblower Claims Agency Forced Him To Juice Domestic Terrorism Numbers)
Melzer sought from the beginning to penetrate the U.S. military and fulfill an “insight role” for O9A, to support the goal of establishing a new Satanic world order, according to the DOJ. He was tasked with gaining experience, committing violent acts and converting vulnerable members of the Army into O9A adherents.
Melzer deployed to Italy in 2019 with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, where he consumed propaganda from neo-Nazi groups and the Islamic State, including footage of jihadist attacks on U.S. military units, according to the DOJ.
Acting USA Strauss: As alleged, Ethan Melzer, a private in the U.S. Army, was the enemy within. He allegedly attempted to orchestrate a murderous ambush on his own unit, unlawfully revealing its location, strength & armaments to a neo-Nazi, anarchist, white supremacist group.
— US Attorney SDNY (@SDNYnews) June 22, 2020
Melzer’s commanders informed him in early May 2020 he would complete an additional deployment to guard an isolated and highly sensitive military base, according to the DOJ. In preparation for his duties, he received access to classified briefings, learning the purpose and layout of the military base — information he funneled to O9A conspirators.
He also used the time to devise what he described as a “mass casualty” ambush attack on the troops who would be guarding the military base with him, according to the DOJ. Melzer and members of O9A’s “RapeWaffen Division” recruited an alleged Al-Qaeda member to assist with the attack, and Melzer promised to provide the terrorist with coordinates, real-time frequencies for the Army’s radio communication channels, and other details necessary to “essentially cripple” the unit.
“[Y]ou just gotta understand that currently I am risking my literal free life to give you all this” Melzer told his co-conspirators, according to DOJ, adding that he “expected results.”
“I would’ve died successfully … cause another 10 year war in the Middle East would definitely leave a mark,” he continued.
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