Next on the White Power Chopping Block: Two MORE Members of the Same NJ Group!

from Idavox

Andrew Takhistov and Steve V. Koshlyak (mugshot from Nov. 2021)

The Atlantic Nationalist Club (we are SO not calling them the ANC!) doesn’t have a lot of members and it seems like they won’t have a lot of members on the outside before long! Also, we have written about one of these guys before!

An 18-year-old member of a New Jersey White Supremacist group was arrested on charges that he solicited others to destroy energy facilities. A few days later, another member of the same group who has had run-ins with law enforcement in the past was also arrested on unknown charges.

On Andrew Takhistov, 18, of East Brunswick, New Jersey was picked up at Newark Airport as he was about to board a flight enroute to fight in Ukraine for the Russian Volunteer Corps, an organization he said was “openly National Socialist,” according to a Department of Justice press release. The release further stated that Takhistov was communicating on a social messaging platform with an individual who he did not know was an undercover law enforcement employee. In those discussions, Takhistov expressed a desire to advance his neo-Nazi ideology through violent means and said another reason why he wanted to join the Russian Volunteer Corps was not just gain paramilitary training but particularly because they specialized in assassinations, attacks on power grids and other infrastructure sabotage.

Takhistov’s arrest came after two visits in June and July to two different electrical substations in North Brunswick and New Brunswick, New Jersey where he instructed the undercover employee on numerous aspects of how to conduct an attack on an electrical substation. It was on July 5, during one of these visits that Takhistov reportedly instructed the undercover employee to take several photographs of the electrical substations so that Takhistov could send them to his Russian friend for additional advice on how to best sabotage the stations.

Takhistov, who was known online as “Cossack,” is a member of the Atlantic Nationalist Club (AnaC, not to be confused with the African National Congress of South Africa), a group with a small handful of members that started in May 2023 as a breakaway from the New Jersey chapter of White Lives Matter (WLM) The group is led by Claudino G. Petruccelli, who in November 2021 was caught by antifa, including members of One People’s Project, attempting to post WLM stickers around Princeton, New Jersey and the following week by police as he tried to do the same thing in Somerville, New Jersey with two others, Zackerji I. Ivanovic, who is reportedly currently with the neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe, and Steve V. Koshlyak, who is currently a AnaC member. The three were arrested.

On Saturday, an online notification indicated that Koshlyak, who celebrated his 37th birthday two days prior, had been arrested that day and online jail records note that he is currently being held at the Burlington County (NJ) Detention Center in Mount Holly, New Jersey with a jail ID of 117724. There is no further information about his arrest including the department that arrested him or when his first appearance will take place. In addition to his November 2021 arrest, Koshlyak also has a DUI arrest going back to 2014.

While AnaC have been attempting to be known for their flash mob rallies and stickering, often associating with Dan D’Ambly’s New Jersey European Heritage Association (NJEHA), they have been particularly displayed a violent over the past two years both as a WLM chapter and its current incarnation. A group of them including Petruccelli and another member Nicholas G. Mucci participated in the fights at Penn State University in October 2022 when Proud Boy founder Gavin McInnes and internet troll Alex Stein attempted to have an event there. It was shut down after those fights, where Mucci and Petruccelli allegedly pepper sprayed those protesting the event, got out of hand. Last month, Mucci pled guilty to attempting to smoke bomb and pepper spray a benefit show for One People’s Project at a church in Asbury Park, New Jersey three months  after Penn State, the smoke bombs purchased in Pennsylvania the day of the event there, and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 16. These latest two arrests will make three members of the small hate group currently imprisoned.

According to the Department of Justice press release, Takhistov is charged with one count of soliciting another individual to engage in criminal conduct that involved destroying a public service enterprise group circuit breaker and substation. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $125,000 fine. Charges are still pending for Koshlyak at the time of this posting.

Nazi Alex Chubbuck of Boyertown, PA

from Philly Fash Watch

Almost a year ago to the day, antifascists shut down a joint action between NJEHA, Embrace Struggle, Garden State Nationalists, and others in the Princeton, NJ area. Local antifascists received a tip from a concerned Princeton area resident that white supremacists were at a Walmart on the outskirts of Princeton. Based on this tip, the fascists soon found themselves unexpectedly surveilled. All fascists present were visibly taken by surprise, as they were caught with their masks down and were not expecting anyone other than their own comrades to be present.

Some nazis on site at the Princeton area Walmart were known to antifascists, such as Dan D’ambly and Ron Sheehy, but others were not, and remained unidentified- until now. One of these unidentified nazis has now been positively identified as former Philly anarchist punk Alex Chubbuck of Boyerstown, PA.

Alex Chubbuck. The photo on the left of Chubbuck was taken at the Princeton area Walmart as NJEHA and other NJ-based nazis were gathering for a rally. The photo on the right is a recent photo of Chubbuck in every day street wear.

Chubbuck was recently identified by those in the Tristate area (NJ, PA, NYC) punk scene who recognized him from his former days as an anarchist and lead singer of the now defunct Philly punk band, Iron Wind. Chubbuck went by the front name “Nargoth” or “Nar” for short and was a part of the Philly punk and anarchist scene from 2016 to 2020/2021. He was also a part of a few other punk bands and had a personal anarchist music project called N.E.G.

Documentation of Chubbuck’s time as an anarchist in the Philly punk scene. This includes the band he fronted, Iron Wind, and other bands he was in at the time like Instinct? and Aresholes. His one-man anarchist music project N.E.G. is also featured.

Chubbuck has been a hard line neo-nazi for the last two years, becoming a full member of S14, WLM PA/NJ, NJEHA, and an associate of other nazi crews like Embrace Struggle in 2023. In 2023 he created the Telegram handle “@AgeofIron”, likely a reference to his former band Iron Wind, when he became a full fledged member of the different local nazi crews.

Chubbuck’s Telegram handle.

 

When Chubbuck was added as a formal member to one of the S14 chats. Note the 2023 date at the top of this picture.

Reports indicate that Chubbuck was radicalized into a neo-nazi sometime in 2021 after he was kicked out of both the Philly punk scene and anarchist mutual aid spaces for a litany of bad behavior.

Tracing Chubbuck’s online footprint reveals much about his past and current beliefs/activities. In the mid 2000’s when Chubbuck was 15 years old he created the online handle “abomb990” and applied it across all of his different accounts. At this time, Chubbuck was very active online through sites like Deviant Art, Flickr, and YouTube, displaying his art, talking about his day to day life, and sharing his interest in music. During this time, Chubbuck appeared to be very apolitical, with no discernible political tendencies, and instead was interested in music, art, video games, school, and cannabis.

Chubbuck’s Flikr and Deviant Art profiles. He used his full legal name along with his “abomb990” handle, solidifying the connection between his actual identity and his well saturated username.

Chubbuck was involved in the Philly punk scene for several years, starting in 2016 when he moved from his hometown of Ambler, PA to the city proper and began to immerse himself in the local scene. Chubbuck took on a visage similar to other punk anarchists, decking himself out in piercings, homemade tattoos, and DIY clothing.

Chubbuck during his time as a Philly punk. In the two photos on the left he can be seen wearing an iron cross. While iron crosses can be used to signify national socialist beliefs, it is not a symbol used exclusively to reflect this, and has been adopted by biker, punk, and goth subcultures. Due to Chubbuck’s well documented anarchist politics at this time in his life it is not believed that his usage of it here reflected national socialist beliefs.

Chubbuck also became involved in different anarchist mutual aid spaces at this point and participated in day-to-day work and larger events to provide the Philly community with different resources. His band, Iron Wind, played a number of different anarchist and punk events, further solidifying his politics at this time.

Some of the anarchist and punk scene events that Chubbuck’s band played when he was an anarchist.

Once Chubbuck was kicked out of the scene in 2020/2021 he slowly began to radicalize towards the far right. At the time of publishing it is not clear what caused Chubbuck’s radical shift from the far left to the far right. Unlike another former antifascist turned neo-nazi, Paul Minton, Chubbuck had no prior history as a white nationalist to possibly explain his shift to fascism. Evidence of his shift can be seen from his more recent online activity.

Chubbuck’s YouTube account, which bares his username “abomb990” along with the logo of his now defunct Philly punk band Iron Wind.

As seen in the photo above Chubbuck commented 8 months ago on a Screwdriver video, a well known white nationalist band, with not so subtle white nationalist sympathies. This also occurred well after the Princeton area Walmart incident where he was unmasked by antifascists.

Chubbuck currently lives in Boyerstown, PA and runs his own licensed business Skyline Interiors, where he installs custom window installations and blinds. The business serves the greater Philadelphia area.

Facebook details about Chubbuck’s business Skyline Interiors.

Based on customer reviews, social media activity, and overall online presence it appears Chubbuck’s business has either greatly slowed or may be dormant for the last two years. Regardless, concerned individuals are encouraged to report Skyline Interiors, reach out directly to the business through secure means, and post reviews informing the public of Chubbuck’s neo-nazi ties. Other than Facebook, Chubbuck’s business has a website, a build zoom account, and a home advisor account. This article can be linked and used as evidence.

Chubbuck has betrayed anarchism, antifascism, and his former community in the most disgusting way possible. The militant left must handle him and he must be held accountable for his actions.

S14 members: With addition of Alex Chubbuck, eight of your people have been identified and doxxed including Benjamin Ryder, Jackson Bradley, Paul Minton, Daisy McGowan, Mathew Bair, Mark Kauffman, and Sara Sheaffer. If you continue to operate, more of your members will be exposed and the pressure will increase. You will be held responsible for the nazi filth that you are.

This Week in Fascism #137: Antifascists Sentenced in San Diego, Pushing Back Against Far-Right Attacks on Palestine Solidarity

from It’s Going Down

[This post only contains information relevant to Philadelphia and the surrounding area, to read the entire article follow the above link.]

Welcome back fellow antifascists!

As always, we have a lot to cover in this column, especially important analysis and lots of roundups of antifascist research and action. With lots to talk about, let’s dive right in!

Research Roundup

Other reports from Idavox you may have missed include write-ups on “prominent [Pennsylvania] neo-Nazi Mark Kauffman,” who was arrested by law enforcement at his own wedding on weapons and methamphetamine charges, Nicholas G. Mucci, a neo-Nazi involved in White Lives Matter plead guilty to attacking an antifascist benefit show in New Jersey, and Ebrahim and Mathew Yehounatan, far-Right Zionists in New York who are harassing pro-Palestinian solidarity demonstrations.

Lastly, Idavox also noted that a small group of neo-Nazis held a tiny demonstration in Philadelphia that included Benjamin Franklin Ryder, a “registered sex offender with a long criminal history as well as a history of neo-Nazi activism,” and Stephen Thomas Farrea, a member of the Nationalist Social Club 131, became the second member of the group to be arrested “for possessing child pornography.” Faith, family, and folk!

July 25th and Antifascist Prisoners

Currently there is a call to rally support for antifascist prisoners across the world on July 25th. From the call:

Across the world, fascist and far-Right movements are trying to advance their agendas of bigotry, ultra-nationalism and authoritarian control. The establishment–no matter who is in power–does not and cannot offer solutions for deepening economic inequality or any of the numerous crises we are living through. Instead, those in power continue to advance the militarization of police and the hardening of borders as the rich have become richer than they have ever been before. As the world burns and our lives become harder and harder, the fascist and far-right menace offers only lies and scapegoats–demonizing and attacking migrants, refugees, LGBTQ+ people, as well as racial, religious, and ethnic minorities.

The July 25th International Day of Solidarity with Antifascist Prisoners originated in 2014 as a Day of Solidarity with Jock Palfreeman, an Australian man who served 13-years in prison in Bulgaria for defending two Romani men from an attack by fascist football hooligans. In 2015, J25 expanded into a global day of solidarity with all antifascists facing State repression. The friends and comrades we are celebrating on J25 were on the frontlines of this fight against fascism and the far-Right, and we will not forget them behind prison walls as we continue the struggle for liberation.

As revolutionary antifascists, we believe that building movements of defense and solidarity with those locked behind the prison walls is fundamental in the three-way fight against both the far-right and the State. This July 25th, we call on antifascists worldwide to take part in the International Day of Solidarity with Antifascist Prisoners!

Find out more info on how to support, places to donate, and materials for printing, go here.

Cover Photo: Alissa Azar

NJ Hate Watch: S14, WLM, and Embrace Struggle Member Benjamin Ryder of Hatboro, PA

from Jersey Counter-Info

Last week Idavox identified Benjamin Ryder as “one of handful of individuals that held a protest on an overpass going over Roosevelt Blvd. in support of a White child allegedly murdered by a Black woman in Ohio“. Ryder, a registered sex offender and pedophile, has been a known associate of PA area nazis for some time, having been involved in several instances of vandalism, and targeting of anarchist and Queer spaces in Philadelphia and New Jersey. Specifically, Ryder first came onto antifascists’ radar last year when he was caught stealing stickers at the Wooden Shoe, an anarchist bookstore in Philadelphia, and when he was arrested for pulling a weapon on a group of people outside the Supreme Court.

Ryder’s arrest, and consequent identification, in front of the Supreme Court in April 2023.

Ryder has been loosely associated with different nazi crews but his exact ties have been hard to pin down- until now. Antifascists have positively identified Ryder as a long-time member of S14, NJEHA, WLM PA/NJ, and Embrace Struggle Social Club (formerly a part of the Active Club network but the group has since disassociated).

Ryder’s Telegram profile in 2023. His membership in S14 is confirmed here well, circled in red.

 

Ryder’s Telegram profile as of June 2024.

Ryder who uses the Telegram handle @cancerousparanoia and “NAME” as his display name, has been a member of S14, NJEHA, and WLM PA/NJ since 2022/2023 when he became increasingly active in-person and friends with fellow neo-nazi Mathew Bair. Ryder has attended many in-person actions including hangouts in PA with Kauffman, Bair, Cossack, and other general members.

One of the hangouts that Ryder attended, alongside Bair, Kauffman, Cossack and others.

 

Ryder is circled in red in front of the NY S14 chapter flag. Note that he is wearing the same shirt as one of his Telegram profile pictures pictured earlier in this piece.

 

Ryder, circled in red, poses in front of the S14 flag.

 

Ryder, again circled in red, poses in front of Cossack’s Azov Battalion flag.

Below, Bair and Ryder can be seen joking around about their attendance and NJ Hate Watch’s coverage of this same hang out in 2023.

Ryder has also openly discussed his membership in the regional White Lives Matter crews, specifically mentioning their organizational structure and past collaborations. WLM PA/NJ has been in hot water with the state over the past year and a half. They have tried to distance themselves away from other WLM members like Evan Plumlee who was caught up in the J6 “insurrection” and helped invade the capitol building and Nicholas Mucci, who very recently plead guilty to a host of charges stemming from a WLM action in New Jersey.

Ryder providing details about his membership in WLM and the chapter’s prior work with a PA Proud Boy crew. Ironically, Ryder mentions to Bair that the chat they’re in is not secure.

S14, and its leader Mark Kauffman, likes to posit the group and their collaborators such as Embrace Struggle and WLM, as moralistic and disciplined crews that are against pedophilia, respect white women, and are against all forms of “degeneracy”. In the past Kauffman has booted prior members for violating these terms, but the irony here is that Ryder’s long-term membership in the crew flies in the face of these supposed principles.

Ryder has had a very public and well documented case of being a compulsive sex offender who targets both women and children. Starting in 2015 when he was 20 years old, Ryder was arrested and convicted of indecent exposure and open lewdness when he stripped naked in a McDonald’s women’s bathroom and exposed himself and followed a woman using the restroom. After this incident he served jail time and was forced to register as a sex offender; he is currently listed as a Tier 1 sex offender in PA.

An excerpt from a 2015 article about Ryder’s first conviction. He served jail time for this incident.

Later in 2017/2018 when he was 23, he was picked up in PA for multiple instances of exposing himself to women and girls in public. In one incident his victims were as young as 12 years old, something Ryder admitted in open court.

Details from a 2018 article about his second arrest for exposing himself.

 

Further details on the 2017/2018 incident that lead to Ryder’s arrest.

 

Horrific details about Ryder’s assault on two 12 year old girls, for which he was arrested. In addition to other instances that prompted calls to police.

So why does Kauffman, S14, WLM, NJEHA, and Embrace Struggle associate with Ryder and allow him membership within their crews? Despite Kauffman’s bravado, he doesn’t actually stand by any of his supposed principles by hanging out with and befriending someone who sexually assaults little girls. Most likely Ryder doesn’t view himself as a pedophile, but what do you call someone who compulsively targets children as young as 12 years old and shows them their genitals? Ryder gains sexual satisfaction from exposing himself to women and children and there are no other labels that come to mind other than “sex offender” and “pedophile”.

For the public’s safety, especially women and girls, the following information is being released: Ryder, is a 29 year old white male who lives in Hatboro, PA on Lancaster Avenue. He is 6′ 3″, 185 lbs, has brown hair, brown eyes, several arm tattoos, and wears ear gauges. He owns and drives a black 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a PA license plate “KDK5085”.

A reference photo of a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It is the same color, make, and model of Ryder’s Jeep Grand Cherokee, but is not a picture of his exact vehicle.

S14 members: With addition of Benjamin Ryder, seven of your people have officially been identified and doxxed including  Jackson Bradley, Paul Minton, Daisy McGowan, Mathew Bair, Mark Kauffman, and Sara Sheaffer. If you continue to operate, more of your members will be exposed and the pressure will increase. You will be held accountable for the nazi pedophile supporting filth that you are.


Send tips and information: njhatewatch@protonmail.com

Next on the White Power Chopping Block: Mark Kauffman

from Idavox

Mark Kauffman, right, along with his fiancé Sara Sheaffer.

It’s not a nice day for a white power wedding!

HONEY BROOK, PA – Saturday was supposed to be the day that prominent neo-Nazi Mark Kauffman was supposed to marry his fiancé and fellow neo-Nazi Sara Sheaffer. Instead, Sheaffer found herself still single this weekend and begging for bail money after Kauffman was picked up at the wedding venue the night before on an outstanding warrant in Massachusetts from six years ago.

According to court records from Chester County, PA, Kauffman is being held at the Chester County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail. Records further indicate this was an  “Arrest Prior to Requisition” which indicates the arrest of someone who has been charged with a crime in another state or jurisdiction. In February 2018, an arrest warrant was issued for Kauffman who law enforcement said was connected to a shotgun, rocket launcher and methamphetamines found in a Hadley, Massachusetts storage unit on Route 9 in Hadley, Monday. The Hadley Police Department say Kauffman is facing charges of trafficking in methamphetamine of 100-200 grams, possession of a large capacity feeding device and two counts of possession of a firearm without a license.

The location of the wedding location was an Air BnB that was publicly announced via a wedding website that indicated that the couple would be at the house on Friday after 6:00 PM and staying there until Sunday. A Telegram post on Sunday noted that Kauffman was arrested the eve of his wedding, with Sheaffer, who is five months pregnant, standing next to him. Her Venmo and CashApp accounts that are found on the wedding website are now being used to raise bail money.

Front page of wedding website.

According to Jersey Counter Info, Kauffman and Sheaffer, both from Massachusetts, are leaders of a neo-Nazi group based in the New York/New Jersey/Pennsylvania tri-state area called Storm 14 (S14). Kauffman founded the group in March 2023 after he split from another group called the National Socialist Youth Alliance (NSYA). As has been the case with neo-Nazi groups as of late, S14’s activities have been regulated to posting stickers on public property and participating in pop-up rallies that would be put on either by themselves or other groups. Kauffman was identified as one of the participants of a rally last week in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on an overpass that also included neo-Nazi and registered sex offender Benjamin Ryder. On Telegram, Kauffman used the name “Joachim Peiper” after a Waffen-SS war criminal during World War II who was convicted of killing American POWs, and although was initially sentenced to hang had his sentenced commuted and released in 1956. The real Joachim Peiper remained a committed Nazi, privately associated with fellow Nazis and even gave interviews in France after the French Communist Party exposed his presence in the country. On Bastille Day 1976, his home was attacked and torched by antifascists calling themselves the Avengers. Peiper’s charred remains were found in the aftermath holding a pistol.

Were Kauffman to post bail before he was extradited to Massachusetts, he would have to return to the state of his own accord.

Pa. Nazis Rally for Murdered Child alongside a Registered Sex Offender

from Idavox

June 15, 2024: PA White Live Matter protesting on an overpass. Inset: Benjamin Franklin Ryder

It’s not merely bad optics. It’s who they truly are.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – A registered sex offender with a long criminal history as well as a history of neo-Nazi activism was among a handful of individuals that held a protest on an overpass going over Roosevelt Blvd. in support of a White child allegedly murdered by a Black woman in Ohio.

Benjamin Franklin Ryder – his real name – accompanied at least eight associates of the Pennsylvania chapter of White Lives Matter (WLM) and was holding a Confederate flag while the others held White Supremacist flags, including a flag for a small organization called Storm 14 (S14)  and gave Nazi salutes as cars drove underneath. Eventually a crowd began to build at the base of the overpass and police tailed the small group as they went back to their vehicles.

Ryder has been one of the more active neo-Nazis in the Philadelphia area, participating not just in WLM but local so-called “active clubs,” which are street gangs that exist solely to physically fight political opponents, particularly antifascists. Embrace Struggle, which posted the photos and video or their protest on their Telegram account which is run by Ryder, has been associated with Pennsylvania Active Club, even promoting their videos on the Embrace Struggle account. The Pennsylvania Active Club is comprised of onetime members of Keystone United, formerly Keystone State “Skinheads” in the local Philadelphia area, including Joe Phy of Levittown, PA, Anthony James Olsen and Nunzio Pellegrino, whose brother, fellow KSS member Vincent, died while fleeing the scene as a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her, hitting a concrete wall while driving away at a high speed.

Ryder’s activity however has been regulated to publicity stunts such as rallies and protests as well as targeting establishments he considers to be leftist and post stickers promoting Nazism or WLM. Last year, he was one of two neo-Nazi antagonists who tried to start a fight with participants of a protest outside the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, Ryder getting placed in custody for allegedly pulling out a knife.

This was far from Ryder’s first issue with law enforcement. In 2015 Ryder was sentenced to 4-12 months for approaching several women completely nude in a McDonalds parking lot. In June 2018 he exposed himself to a woman in Bethlehem, PA as he sat in his car masturbating.  When law enforcement caught up with him in December of that year he was already in jail after he exposed himself to a 17-year old employee in October at a Wegman’s supermarket in Hanover Township, PA and for another incident two months after that incident at the same store where he exposed himself to two 12-year-old girls. He was eventually sentenced to 1-2 years in prison and he is currently on the sex offender registry for an charge of indecent assault that he was arrested for in Warwick Twp., PA in November 2018.

Yesterday’s outing was reportedly part of a day of protests for some White Supremacist groups across the country.

Solidarity means attack. Fuck France, free Kanaky

Submission

This week, an anti-colonial uprising broke out in Kanaky, an archipelago in the South Pacific. Kanaky was named “New Caledonia” by British colonizer James Cook and has been occupied by France under that name since the 19th century. The Kanaks are black indigenous peoples of the islands whose cultures face genocide from white French “immigrants” who drive them from their lands and impose capitalism. For more general information:

https://www.infolibertaire.net/?s=Kanaky

France is a member of NATO, an ally of Israel, the capital of anti-immigration racism in Europe, a nuclear-armed state, etc. By attacking France, we support not only Kanaky’s struggle for freedom but also that of many other peoples, including other French colonies in the South Pacific. and Caribbean.

If you live near a city, you probably live near a French political, cultural or diplomatic institution or a company that does business with them. You probably like under a government which maintains links with France. Targets are everywhere!

Solidarity means attack, the lessons we learned in the fight against genocide in Palestine, Sudan and Congo can be applied at the same time to those pushing for the French-led genocide of the Kanaks.

Black Power Worldwide! Death to France!

This Week in Fascism #136: Hundreds Run Kyle Rittenhouse Off Campus in the South, Musk Removes Exposé of Neo-Nazi

from It’s Going Down

As always, we have a lot to cover in this column, especially some exciting action reports and important calls for solidarity with antifascists in trouble. With lots to talk about, let’s dive right in!

Research Roundup

In Pennsylvania, One People’s Project reports:

Area residents and allies helped in identifying a local business owner as the person caught stickering White Lives Matter propaganda in this municipality’s multi-ethnic downtown a month ago.

The neighborhood organization UDTJ reported on its social media accounts that they were able to identify David Miller who has a business, Upper Darby Auto Detailing at 25 Powell Lane, roughly a 5 – 10 minute walk from where he was caught and filmed propagandizing on the opposite side of the street from the 69th Street Transportation Center.

 

Bulldoze SCI Rockview: Abolition, Prisoner Support, and Resistance to Genocide in PA-DOC

from The Final Straw Radio Podcast

Black and white cartoon of a grill with prison bars at bent and torn
Download This Episode

SCI Rockview is a prison in central Pennsylvania where incarcerated comrades have been facing repression for demanding justice in the face of impunity by racist COs and following a year of prisoner deaths due to institutional toxicity and guard violence. We speak to an outside supporter about the situation at Rockview, the reactions of administration, inside / outside relationships and solidarity that have flared up. We hope that this conversation contributes to increased and thickened ties between folks on both sides of the walls.

You can read some recent posts about this situation at AbolitionistStudy.com and PHLAntiCap.NoBlogs.org and you can find audio from the wives of prisoners at SCI Rockview on In The Mix Prisoner Podcast. A few other sites of interest include StudyAndStruggle.com, DC IWOC on instagram, and In The Belly Journal.

This conversation was conducted via encrypted messages and recorded by a comrade Golem and Ash from the the MolotovNow! Podcast, so a big thanks is due to them.

Announcement

Jorge “Yorch” Esquivel

Jorge has now been held in prison for over a year without a trial, and urgently needs funds to cover legal fees and prison costs (food, water, phone calls, visits, administration fees, service costs, etc).

Jorge “Yorch” Esquivel is a beloved compañero of the punk community, and a long-time participant of the Okupa Che. He was arrested on December 8, 2022 by plainclothes police as he was leaving the campus of the Ciudad Universitaria (of the UNAM university) in Mexico City as part of a campaign of criminalization against the Okupa  or squat.

BACKGROUND

On February 24, 2016, an operative was carried out in which plainclothes policemen detained him, “planting” drugs on him in order to fabricate crimes, and accusing him of drug trafficking, as part of a campaign of repression on the squatted auditorium Okupa Che in UNAM (still existing). The whole case was plagued with irregularities. He was transferred to Oaxaca and then to a maximum-security prison in Hermosillo as a strategy to hinder his legal defense by taking him far away from his support networks. Thanks to the solidarity and legal work, he was reclassified from the crime of drug dealing to simple possession of narcotics, and was released on bail in March 2016.

Even though he was no longer in prison, he was not out of danger. Constant threats and journalistic reports did not cease; the press even reported his death and accused him of participating in organized crime. Meanwhile, steps were being taken to frame him once again and re-arrest him for the same fabricated crime.

On December 8, 2022 he was arrested in exactly the same place – a few steps outside Ciudad Universitaria, where the Okupa is located, once again by plainclothes police – with the grounds for this illegal
detention being that the Attorney General’s Office appealed the decision to reclassify the crime.

The compañero’s health is fragile due to an extended hospitalization a couple years back and the toll the prison conditions have taken on him.

CURRENT SITUATION

Jorge is currently incarcerated in the Reclusorio Oriente prison in Mexico City. The legal process is still in the evidence stage. Several hearings have been postponed and Jorge’s process is being delayed and prolonged to keep him in what is called “preventative imprisonment” with no sentence, which is common for cases of political prisoners in Mexico.

Despite the fact that there is no evidence to keep him in prison, the strategy of the State is clearly to drag it out as long as possible, which is a tortuous level of uncertainty for all of us close to Jorge.

Thanks to the solidarity of individuals, collectives and networks, it has been possible to cover Jorge’s expenses inside the prison, which have been very high due to the corruption that reigns in Mexican prisons. We are raising funds to support his legal costs and basic needs to be able to survive in this unjust incarceration, and to re-join the community on the outside as soon as possible. We call upon the solidarity of our friends and compañerxs around the world to help us in supporting our compañero Yorch.

For updates and news:

. … . ..

Featured Track:

  • Ba Teaches Yoga by Four Tet from Beautiful Rewind

 

. … . ..

Rockview Erupts!

from Dreaming Freedom, Practicing Abolition

Listen to the new episode of In the Mix: prisoner podcast

4/6/24 | Rockview Erupts!

https://inthemixprisonerpodcast.libsyn.com/rockview-erupts

 

“In this episode, we speak with the Spouses of incarcerated organizers who exposed SCI Rockview’s attempts to cover up anti-Black racism in their prison. In November 2023, guards hung two nooses in the bubble in view of incarcerated people. Listen to how incarcerated people and their accomplices have been demanding accountability from the prison.”

Timeline of the autonomous struggle to fire guards at SCI Rockview

Submission

Timeline of the last *two weeks* alone, in the autonomous struggle to fire guards for nooses at SCI Rockview:

 

March 13 Press Release :

https://abolitioniststudy.com/2024/03/13/correctional-officers-hang-nooses-and-sci-rockview-does-nothing/

March 13 we learn about letter campaign:

https://abolitioniststudy.com/2024/03/23/inside-letter-campaign-as-tactic/

March 14 Centre Daily article drops

https://www.centredaily.com/news/local/community/article286651355.html

March 18-22 Phone Zap:

https://abolitioniststudy.com/2024/03/18/phone-zap-in-solidarity-with-comrades-at-sci-rockview/

March 21: Notes on Insurgency

https://abolitioniststudy.com/2024/03/21/notes-on-abolitionist-insurgency-prisoner-support-in-pennsylvania/

March 25-29 Phone Zap:

https://abolitioniststudy.com/2024/03/25/rock-zap-2nd-week-ftp/

 

March 26 Press Release:

https://abolitioniststudy.com/2024/03/26/impunity-and-cover-up-correctional-officers-hang-nooses-in-sci-rockview-prisoners-speak-out/

 

March 26: Security Van Tires Slashed

 

March 27: Public Call for Autonomous Campaign drops

https://phlanticap.noblogs.org/sci-rockview-autonomous-campaign/

https://scenes.noblogs.org/post/2024/03/29/sci-rockview-autonomous-campaign/

March 28: First audio clip of Charles G’s wife leaks

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5GbzSZOQy_/?igsh=b

March 28: Nicki Paul phone call audio leak:

https://abolitioniststudy.com/2024/03/28/conversations-with-grievance-coordinator/

March 29 Phone Zap update (updated again Mrch 31):

https://abolitioniststudy.com/2024/03/29/3-29-phone-zap-persists-update-rockview/

Impunity and Cover-up: Correctional Officers Hang Nooses in SCI Rockview, Prisoners Speak Out!

from Dreaming Freedom, Practicing Abolition

March 26, 2024

For Immediate Release

Benner Township, PA.- On November 24th, 2023, imprisoned people at SCI Rockview found two nooses hanging in the CO’s office, displayed visibly for many prisoners to see. When the prisoners asked the staff why the nooses were hung, they were told it was a joke. By December 4th, prisoners filed a grievance to document what they saw, noting that the hanging of the nooses was “unethical, racially motivated, hateful, [a] deliberate debasement of black inmates” and “unsafe for inmates, staff, [and] the whole prison in general.” In the grievance, they demanded that Sgt. Mosser and CO Richard be fired and investigated for a hate crime, and for CO Kirchner to get therapy. Captain Andrews, the head of security, denied the grievance over two months later by February 5, 2024 under the guise that it was “being investigated.” However, the sergeant and COs are still working in the prison to this day, with no repercussions for this racist act.

As of March 10th, prisoners have reached out to Pennsylvania officials at the Dept. of Corrections in a letter campaign, sending 100 copies of the grievance. Copies of the letter also were mailed to Governor Shapiro, Senator Fetterman, Senator Street, and various advocacy groups. The demands for relief in the original grievance have now become the platform of demands for this campaign. About 20 of the 100 letters were withheld by the prison. Activists on the outside are joining forces with prisoners to elevate their demands, flooding the phone lines of DOC offices, assisting with outreach to media, and circulating the stories of prisoners who have found unity in opposition to the facility’s virulent institutional racism.

In any other workplace, hanging a noose would be grounds for immediate termination. However, Nicki Paul, the superintendent’s assistant and “grievance coordinator” informed the public that they self-investigated their staff and found they did nothing wrong. When family and friends of prisoners in the facility called en mass between March 18th and 25th to voice their concern, Paul was flippant, dishonest, and dismissive to nearly every caller. Several family members of prisoners felt incredibly disrespected by the behavior of Paul and other staff who answered their calls. In the process of calling in, it also became known that Paul holds several other titles within the prison, including “staff officer,” “lieutenant’s assistant,” and “community liaison.” Samuel Condo, a PA-DOC official responsible for overseeing SCI Rockview, was called over a dozen of times to no avail. When contact was finally made with Condo, he simply would redirect calls back to Nicki Paul whose multiple roles on the prison staff create severe conflicts of interest.

Paul admits that SCI Rockview does indeed have video footage, yet the reasons why they refuse to make this footage public has not been given any reasonable justification. As of the week of March 18th, SCI Rockview has closed the internal investigation, choosing to protect the guards who did this hateful and racist act over the safety and well-being of the prisoners. In the meantime, the administration removed two prisoners from general population who brought the situation to public light. One was transferred out of the prison, and the other one is still in administrative custody, aka “the hole” under  accusations of “encouraging group activity.”

This incident is coming after a year that saw 11 prisoners die in custody. Seven people died amidst an outbreak of legionnaires disease, and four people died while in administrative custody (punitive solitary units with very little public oversight and severely limited communication access). Unfortunately, there is a well-known pattern of premature death and racist discriminatory practices (including beatings and verbal harassment) at SCI Rockview.

There is a resistance campaign that has emerged from the persistent actions of prisoners and outside supporters, who together are demanding an external investigation of the facility & its staff for the cover-up of hanging the nooses. The severity of retaliation for speaking out must also be considered a central object of investigation. We believe the inaction of officials at this facility is symptomatic of a deeper condition of antiBlackness, white supremacy, and class warfare that PA-DOC legally sanctions and politically condones. On both sides of the wall, people most impacted by the racism of SCI Rockview continue to uplift the demands of prisoners to investigate the noose incident as a hate crime, to terminate Sgt. Mosser and CO Richard, and to require mandatory therapy for CO Kirchner. While a grassroots campaign is indeed growing, and as PA-DOC slides further into dissonant inaction, the call for popular resistance to SCI Rockview’s lethal conditions rings louder by the day.

Contact: abolitionist-study@protonmail.com

Phone Zap in Solidarity with Comrades at SCI Rockview

from Dreaming Freedom, Practicing Abolition

📞⚡ Monday 3/18 – Friday 3/22

Call anytime between:  9am – 5pm est / 6am – 2pm pst

Send reportbacks to: abolitionist-study@protonmail.com

or DM on twitter: @abolitionstudy 


Trigger warning: Mentions racist violence by guards at SCI Rockview

About

In November 2023, a group of guards hung two nooses in the office (bubble) at SCI Rockview – a location visible to roughly a hundred prisoners. Prisoners who witnessed the nooses have been outraged by this disturbing racist act, and have since demanded that these guards face consequences. In January we launched a two week phone zap campaign that forced PA-DOC main offices to contact the warden. While many Black prisoners remain tormented by this racist act, the guards responsible have enjoyed impunity, with officials in the facility even making attempts to silence anyone on the inside who speaks out. One captive comrade was actually transferred out of state because of their agitation around this issue, while another captive comrade’s grievances have been outright rejected by the administration.

We have little reason to believe an internal investigation will achieve what the prisoners have been demanding, which includes the following:

  • Investigate the hanging of nooses as a “hate crime” and take their impact seriously
  • Terminate Sgt. Mosser and c/o Richards
  • Mandatory therapy for c/o Kirchner

SCI Rockview has seen 11 deaths (that we know of) in 2023 and a severe pattern of racist discriminatory practices. Please join us in calling PA-DOC offices and officials, to further expose this incident and amplify the demands of our captive comrades.

Script for Calling

I am calling on behalf of a community of people who are distressed by a recent incident of antiBlack harassment by a group of CO’s at SCI Rockview, who have faced no consequences for their racist actions. On 11/24/23, prisoners at SCI Rockview found two nooses made from extension cords hung by guards in the office (bubble). Two internal grievances have been submitted by prisoners who witnessed the incident, and prison officials have rejected both. We would like to make you aware that the facility admin has rejected both internal grievances, submitted by prisoners through the proper channels. The guards have faced no consequences. We have little reason to believe an internal investigation will achieve what the prisoners have been demanding, which includes the following:

  • Investigate the hanging of nooses as a “hate crime” and take its impact seriously
  • Terminate Sgt. Mosser and c/o Richards
  • Mandatory therapy for c/o Kirchner

The hanging of two nooses is understood by many people imprisoned at SCI Rockview to be a hostile act and deeply offensive. Some are disclosing how these acts are part of a larger pattern of discriminatory practices used by correctional officers at this specific facility. If this was any other workplace, the act of hanging nooses would lead to severe consequences. The admin at SCi Rockview have not only displayed indifference to the racist act, but some even have made efforts to silence prisoners in distress by the incident. We urge PA-DOC officials to recognize the significance of the prisoner demands, which are derived from the exhausted grievances. 



Phone Contacts

 

 

 

Press Release – March 13, 2024

Re: Correctional Officers Hang Nooses and SCI Rockview Does Nothing

Bellefonte, Pa. – On November 24, 2023, prisoners at SCI Rockview found two nooses hanging in the CO’s office, displayed visibly for prisoners to see. When the prisoners asked the staff why the nooses were hanging there, they were told it was a joke. By December 4, pris- oners filed a grievance to document what they saw, noting that the hanging of the nooses was “unethical, racially motivated, hateful, [a] deliberate debasement of black inmates” and “unsafe for inmates, staff, [and] the whole prison in general.” (For perspective: Rockview’s pris- oner population is 45% black.) In the grievance, they demanded that Sgt. Mosser and CO Richards be fired and investigated for a hate crime, and for CO Kirchner to get therapy. Cap- tain Andrews, the head of security, denied the grievance over two months later by February 5, 2024 under the guise that it was “being investigated”. However, the sergeant and Cos are still working in the prison to this day, with no repercussions except getting moved to another block.

As of March 10, prisoners have reached out to Pennsylvania officials at the Dept. of Corrections in a letter campaign, sending copies of the grievance. Activists on the outside are joining forces with prisoners to elevate their demands, which continue to be dismissed by the administration at Rockview.

In any other workplace, hanging a noose would be grounds for immediate termination. However, the staff and administration at SCI Rockview continue to dodge public accountability. In fact, the prison has a history of fostering systemic racism, like in 2013 when admin blocked a Muslim prisoner from wearing religious garb. Kerry X. Marshall, then incarcerated at SCI Rockview, sued and six years later the courts determined that the prison had violated his religious freedom.

This incident is coming at a time when in 2023, 11 prisoners died in custody. Seven people died amid an outbreak of legionnaires disease, and four people died while in the RHU (punitive solitary units with very little public oversight). Unfortunately, there is a well-known pattern of premature death at SCI Rockview. Most well known is an incident in 2012, when COs killed the prisoner John Carter during a “cell extraction” while he was in the RHU, in what other prisoners described as “turning his cell into a gas chamber” using ‘non-lethal’ weapon OC pepper spray. Carter’s family never received justice for what the prison did to him, and PA DOC never acknowledged or reprimanded the guards who killed him.

In short, prisoner demands to investigate the hanging of nooses as a hate crime, terminate Sgt. Mosser and CO Richards, and mandatory therapy for CO Kirchner, need be taken seriously.

Philly Area White Lives Matter Propagandist Identified as Local Business Owner

from Idavox

David Miller

Upper Darby, PA community members’ work quickly put the finger on David Miller who runs an auto detailing company.

Innocent Bystander

UPPER DARBY, PA —  Area residents and allies helped in identifying a local business owner as the person caught stickering White Lives Matter propaganda in this municipality’s multi-ethnic downtown a month ago.

The neighborhood organization UDTJ reported on its social media accounts that they were able to identify David Miller who has a business, Upper Darby Auto Detailing at 25 Powell Lane, roughly a 5 – 10 minute walk from where he was caught and filmed propagandizing on the opposite side of the street from the 69th Street Transportation Center.

“This individual has been caught vandalizing property with their hateful propaganda twice now, and we strongly condemn such ignorance and hate,” UDTJ’s Instagram post reads. “We also call on authorities to address these acts promptly, and we urge everyone to stand against such intolerance. Together, we must work towards a more inclusive and respectful society where diversity is celebrated, and hatred is not tolerated.”

[Instagram post]
[Recently, our organization and community have noticed a significant rise in the vandalizing of people’s property in downtown Upper Darby with hateful racist and anti semitic stickers. U.D.T.J. unequivocally condemns these disgusting acts, and our community will never be silent against such cowardly acts of hate.

It has also come to our attention recently that the individual caught putting up the stickers was caught on camera and has been identified as the owner and operator, David Miller, of “That Guy In The Kilt Auto Detailing” (Upper Darby Auto Detailing) located at 25 Powell Ln, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, 19082. We are making this known publicly to ensure consumers in our community can make educated and informed decisions.

This individual has been caught vandalizing property with their hateful propaganda twice now, and we strongly condemn such ignorance and hate. We also call on authorities to address these acts promptly, and we urge everyone to stand against such intolerance. Together, we must work towards a more inclusive and respectful society where diversity is celebrated, and hatred is not tolerated.

The rise in anti-Semitism, islamophobia, transphobia, homophobia, and racism across this country will only be ended with a rising tide of vocal condemnation and accountability. As a result, we will be spending time helping our neighboring businesses and organizations restore their properties if they so choose by removing these stickers. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out. Our community remains united in building a welcoming and tolerant community for all, yet we will never be silent to this rising tide of hate. Black lives matter, Trans lives matter, our youth matter. #nohate #delco #delawarecounty #upperdarby #blacklivesmatter #translivesmatter #youthmatters #nohatehere]

Formerly named That Guy in the Kilt Detailing, Upper Darby Auto Detailing Google Maps business listing and YouTube video have yielded some details. For one, the business is identified as gay-owned. Also, as noted in a Better Business Bureau accredited data broker report that cites court records, Miller has tattoos on his right arm that can reportedly be seen in a video and images that were posted online. Miller is listed as 6’3″ in the referenced data broker report and is 39 years old. His weight is at least 180 pounds and his body build is slim. He has reddish to sandy brown hair and currently sports a moustache. The red jacket that he wore while WLM propagandizing is extremely notable because the jacket’s chest crest denotes — “Maserati” — the Italian ultra luxury car maker.

NJ Hate Watch: White Lives Matter PA Leader and Unidentified J6 Rioter “Insider #140”, Evan Plumlee

from Jersey Counte-Info

Antifascists have positively identified 54 year old Evan Wendell Plumlee of Feasterville-Trevose (Bucks County), PA as a neo-nazi, unidentified J6 rioter “insider ”, and leader of White Lives Matter (WLM) PA.

Evan Wendell Plumlee

Plumlee is also a member of NJEHA and an associate of S14 and the Atlantic Nationalist Club, among other local nazi crews. Plumlee has long-standing connections both in-person and online to the far right scene in the tri-state (NY, NJ, PA) area. Over the past few years he has been occupying himself with joint actions between NJEHA, WLM PA, WLM NJ, Embrace Struggle AC, S14, and Atlantic Nationalist Club, while running the WLM PA Telegram channel with, the recently deceased, Jackson Bradley.

Plumlee’s Gab and Telegram account. They both have the same screen name and dog picture.

Plumlee first came to the attention of antifascists through a routine check of active fascist accounts in the tri-state area. A Telegram and Gab account by the handle AndailChanter was flagged due to its activity. After running some basic checks it was discovered that the account name, AndailChanter, was not unique to Telegram and Gab but existed across several other platforms, some of which were connected directly to Evan Plumlee.

One of Plumlee’s accounts, in this case bitbucket, was attached to his AndailChanter username.

Plumlee made an amateur mistake by linking his legal name to his online neo-nazi persona, which is reminiscent of other S14 member blunders such as Mark Kauffman, Sara Sheaffer, Jackson Bradley, Mathew Bair, Erin Gurel, Paul Minton, and Daisy McGowen. Additionally, Plumlee confirmed on his Telegram account that he lived in Bucks County, PA, further removing any plausible deniability over his identity.

With Plumlee positively identified, antifascists were able to trace his in-person and online activity and connect him to the earlier referenced local groups. Over the past few years Plumlee has forged a strong connection with NJEHA leader Dan D’ambly, S14 leadership, and has regularly attended actions in NJ, PA, and NY.

Plumlee circled in red attending a Embrace Struggle and WLM NJ and PA chapter rally.

 

Plumlee is on the left, standing next to Paul Minton, during the ill fated Tom’s River Irish Festival rally. This is the same rally that Nicholas Mucci attended prior to his arrest.

 

A close up picture of Plumlee attending the Tom’s River Irish Festival rally.

Plumlee has also maintained WLM PA’s online presence, using in-person actions to bolster their content to try and recruit new membership.

 

These two pictures from the S14 chat are referencing a 2023 rally that Plumlee attended. He specifically grabbed footage from that day’s event for WLM PA’s 2023 Day of Action, which is a part of a larger nationwide push by WLM National where individual chapters are encouraged to do simultaneous racist actions.

Outside of his regular online and physical presence in the tri-state area neo-nazi scene, Plumlee is active in moderate right-wing politics on a national level, having connections to more palatable pro-Trump groups. Of note, his involvement in these circles and his connections to other neo-nazis enabled him to join a caravan to Washington D.C. in 2021 for the January 6 Trump rally that devolved into a violent convergence and occupation of the U.S. Capitol Building.

Plumlee traveling to D.C. with Vincent Deluca, pictured on the left.

Plumlee can be seen throughout footage from the J6 riots being an active participant in storming the building and working with others to occupy the building.

Plumlee is circled in red, shortly before the Capitol building was stormed.

 

Plumlee gathering with other rally goers right before the building is invaded.

 

Plumlee entering the Capitol building.

 

Plumlee and others are at one point confronted by a Capitol police officer while inside the building.

At the time of publishing, while over 1,000 people have been identified and faced criminal sentencing for their involvement in the January 6 riots, hundreds of people have not, including Plumlee. It is time to expose Plumlee for his actions on J6 and membership in neo-nazi organizations.

A note from NJ Hate Watch: this is not done in cooperation with the state, any of its agents, or those who cooperate with the state on any level. If Plumlee finds himself on the other end of a state investigation it is because of his own stupidity and arrogance. Any past, present, or future charges/state repression levied against those who participated in the J6 riots is a poor attempt by the state to show that it is against fascism. The U.S. state is by far the largest purveyor of fascism, and stands to benefit from sacrificial arrests and prison terms of J6 defendants.


Send tips and information: njhatewatch@protonmail.com