Arizona man indicted on federal gun charges for allegedly planning attack targeting black people at Atlanta concert

CNN
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An Arizona man was indicted this week by a federal grand jury on several gun-related charges. He was accused by the U.S. Department of Justice of planning a mass shooting targeting blacks and other minorities at a concert in Atlanta in May, hoping to incite a race war before the ‘presidential election. next presidential election.

Mark Prieto, 58, had seven firearms when he was arrested May 14 while driving east from Arizona through New Mexico, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Tuesday. District of Arizona in a press release. He faces charges of firearms trafficking, transferring a firearm for use in a hate crime and possession of an unregistered firearm, the release said.

The indictment against Prieto alleges he discussed his plans between January and May with two people he said “shared his racist beliefs” without knowing they were working with the FBI, the office said of the US Attorney. He then sold an AK-style rifle and an AR-style rifle to one of these people within a month, all under FBI surveillance, according to the release.

Prieto was targeting a concert scheduled for May 14-15 at the State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta, according to a probable cause statement attached to the federal complaint. Although it does not specify which concert Prieto would have targeted, a calendar of the venue shows that Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny was scheduled to perform there on those dates.

After his arrest, Prieto denied he was going to Atlanta, but he admitted to knowing the two people who worked with the FBI and told agents he had no intention of carrying out the attack, the complaint states federal. CNN has reached out to Prieto’s public defender in New Mexico for comment.

If convicted, the firearm trafficking and transfer of a firearm for use in a hate crime charges each carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250 fine. 000 dollars, the US attorney’s office said. A conviction for possessing an unregistered firearm carries a sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of $250,000.

One of the people Prieto confided in was an undercover FBI agent, while the other was a confidential source who had spoken with Prieto more than a dozen times at various gun shows over the years. last three years, according to the complaint. This source told the FBI in late 2023 that Prieto made comments advocating a mass shooting targeting “black people, Jews or Muslims,” the complaint states.

Prieto wanted to carry out the shooting before the November election, the complaint says, because he believed martial law would be in effect afterward, making the attack impossible.

The source and undercover agent met Prieto at four different gun shows during each of the months between January and May, the complaint states. Initially, Prieto allegedly expressed plans to carry out a shooting in Atlanta — specifically at a rap concert, according to the complaint, because Prieto believed there would be a high concentration of black people.

Prieto said he was focusing on Georgia because of what he perceived as changing politics; he attributed this to its black population, which he referred to using the n-word, the complaint states.

Over the next few months, Prieto allegedly provided more and more details about his attack, describing what weapons and types of ammunition he wanted the group to use and what they would carry, according to the complaint. He also reportedly expressed a desire to travel to Atlanta before the shooting to set up weapons caches.

Prieto wanted to make sure the attack was seen as racially motivated, saying he wanted to leave Confederate flags at the scene and say things like “white people out here killing” and “KKK all the way ”, according to the complaint. He also “emphasized that the most important thing was a high death toll,” the complaint states.

At a fifth gun show in early May, Prieto told the source he was going to go to Atlanta to do some reconnaissance and they would see each other again at another gun show planned for the weekend of June 1, the complaint states.

After being read his Miranda rights on May 14, according to the complaint, Prieto denied he was going to Atlanta, telling investigators he was going to Florida to visit his mother.

He admitted to knowing both the undercover agent and the confidential source and to discussing an assault at a “rock” concert, the complaint states, but he told agents he did not have the intention to commit the attack.