BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

Extremist group leaders linked to Russia arrested

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

ovp test

mLife Diagnostics LLC: Oral Fluid Drug Testing

Male shot by female at Shreveport apartment

Class to create biodiverse backyard

Rules for outbursts at Caddo School Board Meeting

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241114185800

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241115200405

(NewsNation) — The leaders of an extremist group known as Black Hammer, which purportedly has ties to Russian intelligence groups, have been arrested and are under investigation by the FBI.

An unsealed federal indictment accuses the group’s leader, Augustus Romain Jr., also known as “Gazi Kodzo” of taking money from Russian national Aleksandr Ionov.

Black Hammer is accused of staging protests in March outside the headquarters of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, after the company placed restrictions on content supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the indictment. This all allegedly happened under the direction of Ionov.

Ionov leads the anti-globalization movement inside Russia and claims in the indictment to be an officer in the Russian counterintelligence agency FSB.

The charges against Romain and his lieutenant, Xavier “Keno” Rushin, include kidnapping, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, conspiracy to commit a felony and taking part in street gang activity.

The pair also allegedly tried to harm homeless people and turn them into a de facto security force. It is also alleged that Romain forced some group members into sexual acts in order to advance within the group, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

U.S.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Site Settings Survey

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Clear

la

51°F Clear Feels like 51°
Wind
3 mph N
Humidity
66%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

Clear skies. Low 49F. Winds light and variable.
49°F Clear skies. Low 49F. Winds light and variable.
Wind
4 mph ENE
Precip
1%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waning Gibbous