Amember of the “Boogaloo Bois” has pleaded guilty in connection with attempting to supply material support to the foreign terror group Hamas.
Michael Solomon “pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization,” according to the Justice Department. “According to court documents, Michael Solomon, 31, of New Brighton, Minn., was a member of the ‘Boogaloo Bois,’ a group of individuals who espouse violent anti-government sentiments. In late May 2020, the FBI initiated an investigation into Solomon and co-defendant Benjamin Ryan Teeter, both members of the ‘Boogaloo Bois,’ and a sub-group called the ‘Boojahideen,'” the DOJ said.
The two individuals engaged with a confidential human source who they thought belonged to Hamas as well as an undercover FBI worker they also thought was a Hamas member.
“According to court documents, on June 10, 2020, Solomon and Teeter met with a confidential human source (CHS), whom the defendants believed to be a member of Hamas. During this meeting, Solomon and Teeter proposed assisting Hamas as a means of furthering the goals of the Boogaloo Bois,” the DOJ noted. “On June 28, 2020, Solomon, Teeter and the CHS met an undercover employee of the FBI (UCE) that Solomon believed was a member of Hamas. During this meeting, Solomon and Teeter proposed manufacturing suppressors, untraceable firearms and fully automatic firearms for Hamas.”
Solomon and Teeter made several suppressors and gave them to the two individuals they believed belonged to Hamas — they also intended to make and supply even more suppressors.
“On July 6, 2020, Solomon and Teeter purchased a drill press for the purpose of manufacturing suppressors for Hamas. Solomon admitted that he and Teeter had planned to use the drill press to also manufacture suppressors for members of the Boogaloo Bois. Solomon and Teeter brought the drill press to Solomon’s home and later used the drill press to manufacture five suppressors,” the press release said. “On July 30, 2020, Solomon and Teeter delivered the suppressors to the CHS and UCE believing those devices would be used by the militant wing of Hamas. During that meeting, the defendants agreed to manufacture additional suppressors for Hamas believing that the next batch of suppressors would be used against Israeli and U.S. military personnel overseas,” the DOJ noted.
“Solomon admitted that he and Teeter again met the UCE on Aug. 29, 2020. During this meeting, the defendants gave the UCE a 3-D printed ‘auto sear’ believing that the auto sear would be used by Hamas to convert semi-automatic rifles into fully automatic rifles. At this time, Solomon and Teeter agreed to obtain, and did obtain, another order of auto sears for the CHS and the UCE,” according to the DOJ.
