60°
Hatchet Speed, 41, of Falls Church, began purchasing at least a dozen guns between February 2021 and May 2021 and spent tens of thousands of dollars to gear up and stockpile his arsenal of weapons.
According to the AP, Speed was a Navy reservist who also stands accused of his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.
During his spending spree, federal officials say that Speed purchased multiple silencers from a company in Georgia that were marketed as “solvent traps,” purportedly to be used in cleaning the barrel of a gun.
However, the devices were designed to silence weapons, and were not registered to Speed in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, which is required by law, prosecutors noted. By circumventing the system, officials say that Speed was able to take possession of the gun accessories within a week of his purchase.
That was only the beginning of Speed's story.
In early 2022, while he was under investigation, officials said that Speed met with an undercover FBI agent, where he discussed his anti-Semitic, anti-government ideologies with the federal official. He also discussed plans to take violent actions to further his fallacious ideologies.
“Speed praised the approach of jihadists and suggested that their approach would be an effective way to 'wipe out’ the opposition, referring to Jewish people,” according to federal prosecutors.
“Speed discussed his efforts to identify targets who were ‘reachable’ by someone like him, stating that he thought about using a ‘mock trial’ to decide which people to add to 'the list.’”
During that discussion, Speed confirmed to the FBI agent that he believed his “solvent traps,” meaning his unregistered silencers, would come in handy for this purpose.
"Speed's case is noteworthy not only because of his alleged participation in the Jan. 6 riot with the far-right Proud Boys group, but also because he espoused antisemitic views in undercover recordings and discussed strategies for eradicating the Jewish population in the US," the AP reported.
Speed will face a maximum term of up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced on Thursday, April 13.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Arlington and receive free news updates.
