Antigovernment Virginia Militia turns to independent journalist to notify public that former member is potentially dangerous

[essentialsaltes]

Virginia militia member raised suspicion, then alarm with talk of bombs​

A militia group’s rare public warning about a former member shows how concerns around Justice Department prosecutions is changing extremist organizing​

Even before he started talking about assassinations and homemade bombs a couple of months ago, “Duke” had weirded out his fellow members in an anti-government militia group.
He belonged to the Virginia Kekoas, a cluster of armed “preppers” in the Norfolk area.

['Duke's' real name is Russell Vane IV]

Vane, 42, was a former Marine reservist with an intelligence background whose loose talk about explosives and Russian government connections unnerved his fellow militia members. The Kekoas kicked him out in early March, suspecting he was either a government informant trying to set them up or an unstable militant heading for trouble — either way, a dangerous liability.

But the decision posed a conundrum: How does a group that doesn’t trust the government warn authorities about a potential threat?

They turned to the independent journalist Ford Fischer, whose News2Share outlet is known for coverage of activist and militant movements. Fischer, who posted a 34-minute YouTube video and long thread on X detailing the Kekoas’ removal of Vane, told The Washington Post that such a public warning was “unprecedented” in his seven years of chronicling the shadowy militia world.

Like many other armed factions on the right, the Virginia Kekoas transformed after the Capitol attack to avoid law enforcement scrutiny. They broke from the “boogaloo” movement that promotes violent revolution and rebranded to focus on Second Amendment activism and doomsday prepping.

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[After Vane joined, he talked too much about explosives and pulled a knife on an unruly drug addict they encountered after a night of drinking.]

“We put him on a 60-day probationary period, but before we could even really tell him that, he screwed up a third time,” Beckner said.

The private setting [during a land navigation exercise], Ray said, was ideal for a tough talk about the group’s suspicions.

“At which point he brings up Russia,” Ray said. “He said, ‘What if I could put you in touch with a Russian dignitary at a Russian embassy that would be willing to pay up to $50,000 a month to unify all militias in Virginia?’”

“I looked at him and said, ‘You’re [doggone] crazy,’” Ray said.

[Later.] “Out of the blue, he looked at the leader of the other group and said, ‘Do y’all have a plan if the president gets assassinated?’” Ray recalled.

...in the morning Vane had handed him a file marked, “Confidential.” He opened it and found Defense Intelligence Agency reports related to homemade explosives precursors.

The Kekoas went into damage-control mode, severing all ties with Vane and removing him from chat groups. Then they made the unusual decision of going public via Fischer, whom they knew and trusted.

 

[Hans Blaster]

Even before he started talking about assassinations and homemade bombs a couple of months ago, “Duke” had weirded out his fellow members in an anti-government militia group.

There is a lot in that sentence alone. The guy who wierds out an anti-government militia.

 

[AlexB23]

Virginia militia member raised suspicion, then alarm with talk of bombs​

A militia group’s rare public warning about a former member shows how concerns around Justice Department prosecutions is changing extremist organizing​

Even before he started talking about assassinations and homemade bombs a couple of months ago, “Duke” had weirded out his fellow members in an anti-government militia group.
He belonged to the Virginia Kekoas, a cluster of armed “preppers” in the Norfolk area.

['Duke's' real name is Russell Vane IV]

Vane, 42, was a former Marine reservist with an intelligence background whose loose talk about explosives and Russian government connections unnerved his fellow militia members. The Kekoas kicked him out in early March, suspecting he was either a government informant trying to set them up or an unstable militant heading for trouble — either way, a dangerous liability.

But the decision posed a conundrum: How does a group that doesn’t trust the government warn authorities about a potential threat?

They turned to the independent journalist Ford Fischer, whose News2Share outlet is known for coverage of activist and militant movements. Fischer, who posted a 34-minute YouTube video and long thread on X detailing the Kekoas’ removal of Vane, told The Washington Post that such a public warning was “unprecedented” in his seven years of chronicling the shadowy militia world.

Like many other armed factions on the right, the Virginia Kekoas transformed after the Capitol attack to avoid law enforcement scrutiny. They broke from the “boogaloo” movement that promotes violent revolution and rebranded to focus on Second Amendment activism and doomsday prepping.

--

[After Vane joined, he talked too much about explosives and pulled a knife on an unruly drug addict they encountered after a night of drinking.]

“We put him on a 60-day probationary period, but before we could even really tell him that, he screwed up a third time,” Beckner said.

The private setting [during a land navigation exercise], Ray said, was ideal for a tough talk about the group’s suspicions.

“At which point he brings up Russia,” Ray said. “He said, ‘What if I could put you in touch with a Russian dignitary at a Russian embassy that would be willing to pay up to $50,000 a month to unify all militias in Virginia?’”

“I looked at him and said, ‘You’re [doggone] crazy,’” Ray said.

[Later.] “Out of the blue, he looked at the leader of the other group and said, ‘Do y’all have a plan if the president gets assassinated?’” Ray recalled.

...in the morning Vane had handed him a file marked, “Confidential.” He opened it and found Defense Intelligence Agency reports related to homemade explosives precursors.

The Kekoas went into damage-control mode, severing all ties with Vane and removing him from chat groups. Then they made the unusual decision of going public via Fischer, whom they knew and trusted.

This stuff sounds scary. The US has been going down the drain when social media became popularized, exacerbating the decline. Domestic terror has become more rampant recently.


Here is a summary of the article, for folks who do not have a paywall bypass system:

The article by Hannah Allam and Razzan Nakhlawi, published on April 9, 2024, discusses the case of Russell Vane IV, a former Marine reservist who was associated with an anti-government militia group called the Virginia Kekoas. Vane's behavior within the group became increasingly suspicious, causing concern among its members. They eventually discovered his true identity and kicked him out due to fears that he may be a government informant or an unstable militant. However, the group faced a challenge in reporting their suspicions to authorities.

Turning to independent journalist Ford Fischer, the Kekoas decided to share information about Vane publicly, providing screenshots of private chats and details about internal operations. This decision aimed to create a public paper trail rather than directly reporting to federal agencies. Researchers note that many anti-government groups have become more cautious following sedition conspiracy cases and the Capitol attack, focusing on local organizing while remaining wary of both law enforcement infiltrators and potentially violent individuals.

After being expelled from the group, Vane ceased communication with the Kekoas. Although various efforts were made to contact him, none succeeded. Additionally, an obituary appeared briefly online, stating that Vane had died on March 11—the same day he was informed of his removal from the militia. Despite initial indications suggesting Vane's demise, several inconsistencies cast doubt on the authenticity of the obituary and subsequent reports regarding his death. These discrepancies further fueled the Kekoas' belief in possible government involvement and intrigue.