Arizona man indicted for guns sold as part of alleged plot to start race war

( The Hill ) – An Arizona man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for selling guns as part of an alleged plan to commit a mass shooting and spark a race war ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Mark Adams Prieto, 58, of Prescott, Ariz., was indicted on charges of firearms trafficking, transfer of a firearm for use in a hate crime, and possession of an unregistered firearm, the U.S. attorneys office in Arizona said in a release Tuesday.

Starting in January 2024, according to the U.S. attorneys office, Prieto began talking to two individuals he did not know worked for the FBI to “devise a plan to commit a mass shooting of African Americans and other minorities to incite a race war” ahead of the election.

He did not know that the individuals he was speaking to were working for the government and “instead believed that they shared his racist beliefs and wanted to commit a mass shooting to incite a race war,” the U.S. attorneys office in Arizona said in the release.

The shooting was allegedly planned for an Atlanta concert May 14-15, according to the release.

Prieto sold two rifles to one of the FBI individuals: an AK-style rifle sold in February and an AR-style rifle in March, according to the release. The FBI said it closely monitored Prieto’s movements during the investigation.

Prieto was stopped by law enforcement driving east from Arizona through New Mexico on May 14, and he was found to be in possession of seven firearms and was taken into federal custody, according to the release. Law enforcement then executed a search warrant at his home and found more guns, including an unregistered rifle.

The U.S. attorneys office said each conviction carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. The possession of an unregistered firearm carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both.

The investigation was conducted by the Phoenix FBI field office.

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