Two individuals are facing serious charges for allegedly plotting to assemble a ‘homeless army’ and conquer an island with intentions to exploit its inhabitants for sexual purposes. Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, both from Dallas, Texas, are accused of devising a scheme to eliminate all male individuals on Haiti’s Gonave Island and engage in sexual misconduct with women and children. The men were formally indicted in the US on Thursday for conspiring to commit murder, inflict harm, or abduct individuals in a foreign nation, in addition to producing child pornography by allegedly coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit acts.
According to federal prosecutors, Weisenburg and Thomas planned to procure a boat and firearms, then enlist homeless individuals from the District of Columbia as a mercenary force. One of the suspects reportedly joined the US military to undergo training for an armed assault aimed at orchestrating a coup d’état on the island.
Gonave Island, situated approximately 38 miles off the coast of mainland Haiti, is home to around 87,000 residents within an area of about 290 square miles. Legal representatives for the accused stated that they intend to plead not guilty. John Helms, representing Thomas, emphasized that there was no actual attempt to carry out the alleged plan.
While evidence is yet to be presented, Helms expressed skepticism about the prosecution’s ability to demonstrate Weisenburg and Thomas’ genuine intent to execute the scheme. Weisenburg purportedly enrolled in a fire academy in Dallas for relevant training but did not complete the program. He later traveled to Thailand with plans to learn sailing, which did not materialize due to financial constraints.
Thomas reportedly enlisted in the US Air Force in January, informing Weisenburg via social media about his military enlistment to advance their planned operation. During his service, Thomas requested a transfer to Andrews Air Base in Maryland to aid in recruiting homeless individuals in Washington, D.C., as per the indictment.
The US Air Force Office of Special Investigations was involved in the probe, as confirmed by the US Attorney’s Office. The Air Force did not provide an immediate response regarding Thomas’ service status. The accused individuals could face a maximum of 30 years in prison for the child pornography offense and a potential life sentence for the conspiracy charge.