A legal criticism unsealed Wednesday within the District of Utah charged 4 U.S. residents with conspiring to unlawfully perform a coup d’état within the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Marcel Malanga, 22, Tyler Thompson, 22, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 37, and Joseph Peter Moesser, 67, are charged with conspiracy to offer materials assist and assets, conspiracy to make use of weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb locations of presidency services, and conspiracy to kill or kidnap individuals in another country, amongst different offenses, in line with a information launch from the U.S. Division of Justice (DOJ).
Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, left, Marcel Malanga and Tyler Thompson, all Americans, attend a court docket verdict in Congo, Kinshasa, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, on expenses of participating in a coup try in Could 2024. (AP Photograph/Samy Ntumba Shambuyi)
CONGO COMMUTES 3 AMERICANS’ DEATH SENTENCES FOLLOWING COUP ATTEMPT
The boys are accused of conducting an armed coup, particularly concentrating on DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Deputy Prime Minister for the Financial system Very important Kamerhe, attacking each the Palais de la Nation — the official house and principal office of the president — and Kamerhe’s personal house in Kinshasa, DRC.
No less than six individuals died throughout the assault, together with two law enforcement officials defending Kamerhe’s house, and not less than one harmless civilian.
The DOJ stated the aim of the operation was to homicide President Félix Tshisekedi, Kamerhe and others, set up a brand new authorities often called the New Zaire, and set up chief Christian Malanga, who died throughout the coup, because the president of the New Zaire.
Rebecca Higbee the mom of Tyler Thompson, factors to her son and his buddy Marcel throughout his twenty first birthday along with his household on Could 30, 2024, in West Jordan, Utah. (AP Photograph/Rick Bowmer)
Marcel Malanga recognized himself because the “Chief of Workers of the Zaire military“; Polun was Christian Malanga’s chief of employees; Moesser was the explosives maker, technician and provider; and Thompson was a soldier, drone specialist and operator, in line with the criticism.
Christian Malanga, Marcel Malanga, Thompson, Polun and Moesser allegedly conspired to offer materials assist and assets together with providers, coaching, professional recommendation or help, communication gear, weapons, explosives, and personnel to the insurgent military which was fashioned to overthrow the DRC authorities.
Tyler Thompson Jr, addresses the court docket in Kinshasa with 52 different defendants Friday June 7, 2024, accused of a task in final month’s tried coup in Congo, led by little-known opposition determine Christian Malanga, during which six individuals had been killed. (AP Photograph/Samy Ntumba Shambuyi)
FLASHBACK: 3 AMERICANS IN CONGO SENTENCED TO DEATH AFTER COUP ATTEMPT
The DOJ additionally accused the lads of conspiring to accumulate and use weapons of mass destruction throughout the coup.
They allegedly deliberate to make use of bombs that could possibly be deployed to their targets, together with individuals, personal houses and public buildings, by way of drones.
As well as, they meant to connect a flamethrower system to a drone and use it as an incendiary system to gentle individuals on hearth.
Thompson unpacks the flamethrower drone attachment from its field and shows it for the digital camera. (U.S. Division of Justice)
Earlier this month, the DRC president commuted Marcel Malanga, Thompson and Polun’s loss of life sentences, switching them to life imprisonment.
If convicted, the lads face a most penalty of as much as 15 years in jail for every rely of conspiring to offer materials assist and assets, and as much as life in jail for every rely of conspiracy to make use of weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb locations of authorities services, and conspiracy to kill or kidnap individuals in another country.
Malanga and Thompson, if convicted, would additionally every face a most sentence of as much as 15 years in jail for every rely of taking a firearm out of the U.S. to interact in a felony.
Defendants had been seen in a social media livestream throughout the tried coup. (U.S. Division of Justice)
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Malanga, Thompson and Polun are anticipated to make their preliminary appearances on the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York. Moesser is anticipated to make his preliminary look on April 10 on the federal courthouse in Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah.
After their preliminary appearances in New York, it’s anticipated that Malanga, Thompson and Polun will seem in Salt Lake Metropolis for additional authorized proceedings.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake Metropolis Subject Workplace, with help by the FBI New York Subject Workplace and the FBI’s Authorized Attaché Workplace in Nairobi, Kenya, which oversees the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Fox Information Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.
