Report: Armed QAnon Supporter Drove To Philadelphia To Deliver ‘Truck Full Of Fake Votes’
Topline
At an arraignment Friday night, prosecutors said that text messages reveal two Virginia men, who were arrested Thursday, drove to Philadelphia to “deliver a truck full” of fake ballots because they were concerned about ballot-counting taking place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, according to a local CBS affiliate.
An American flag is affixed to the back of a Hummer vehicle parked near the Pennsylvania Convention … [+]
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Key Facts
Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office charged Joshua Macias (42) and Antonio Lamotta (61), both of Chesapeake, Virginia, with several weapons charges on Friday.
The men were arrested near the convention center Thursday night after the FBI in Norfolk, Virginia, received a tip that armed individuals were en route from Virginia Beach to Philadelphia.
Police also found an AR-style rifle and 160 rounds of ammunition inside the suspect’s truck, a silver Hummer adorned with at least two QAnon emblems (including a large “Q” and “#WWG1WGA,” which stands for “where we go one we go all.”)
Additional evidence from the vehicle, including a hat with a QAnon conspiracy movement logo, is being investigated.
Key Background:
According to a Daily Beast report, social media posts on Facebook and Twitter reveal Lamotta to be a “dedicated QAnon promoter.” QAnon members believe that a cult of pedophiles comprised of Democratic politicians and Hollywood actors runs a child sex-trafficking ring, which President Donald Trump has been secretly fighting to save the world—claims that Trump has refused to denounce. The FBI has characterized QAnon as a growing domestic terror threat. “QAnon is a positive military operation that is working to take down the deep state,” Lamotta reportedly wrote on Facebook. In a blog post made in August, Lamotta claimed that Covid-19 is “an entirely man-made fake ‘natural pandemic’ psyop crisis with a patented, laboratory ‘gain of function’ bioweapon as its disease.” According to CNN, LaMotta told his work supervisor a few days ago that he needed leave for an “assignment” in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Friday that Macias, a Gulf War veteran, is the co-founder of “Vets for Trump.” Macias was a featured speaker at a Trump rally in Manassas, Virginia, in 2015. On his LinkedIn page, Macias writes: “We are the backbone of the #MAGA Movement.” Vladimir Lemets, the executive director of Vets for Trump, confirmed to the Inquirer that Macias went to Philadelphia to monitor ballot counting. “They just went up there to see if they could be of any assistance and scope out what’s happening,” Lemets said.
Crucial Quote:
“This alarming incident is still very much under investigation regarding additional charges,” said Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. “At this time, we do not have indications that the story is bigger than these two individuals.”
Big Number:
50%. Half of President Trump’s supporters say they believe top Democrats are involved in elite child sex-trafficking rings, and an even higher percentage of Trump supporters believe the president is diligently working to dismantle these rings, according to a national survey released last month.
Further Reading:
Two men outside Philly vote count in Hummer with QAnon stickers face weapons charges, police say (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Philadelphia Police Reportedly Thwart Plot To Attack Vote Counting Center (Forbes)
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