Overview
- A grand jury in Columbus returned the two‑count indictment on Thursday, July 9, 2026, charging eight men with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal property.
- Prosecutors say the alleged plan, hatched beginning in May, would have used explosive‑laden drones to force a mass evacuation and funnel fleeing attendees toward pre‑staged snipers.
- Authorities trace the probe to a tip from the mother of 19‑year‑old Tycen C. Proper, which led to device seizures, encrypted chat logs and arrests made around the June 14 UFC Freedom 250 event after law enforcement learned of a threat on June 10.
- The eight named defendants span multiple states and ages 19–32 and include Chandler D. Scaggs, who was arrested this week and is accused of being assigned as a sniper; earlier arrests took place in Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, California and Washington.
- If convicted the charges carry prison terms ranging from up to 15 years for material support to a potential life sentence for the murder conspiracy, and investigators say the unified indictment replaces earlier complaints as the broader probe continues.