Search Forum Search Members Box Game Donate Credits Emergency Contacts Forum Guidelines Fastlane Rules Forum FAQ Free Stickers!

Meanwhile in Pekin

« Back

This discussion has been locked.

by: 15 OP
~ 3 mos, 16 days ago

*Edited

'Ready for Civil War': Illinois Man Arrested With Bombs Posted Right-Wing Content
MAY 23, 2024
A man arrested after police found pipe bombs in a vehicle has frequently posted conspiracies about the 2020 election, Covid-19, and immigrants
www.rollingstone.com /politics/politics-f eatures/illinois-man -arrest-bomb-re

Just after 3 a.m. last Friday, in a small Central Illinois city infamous in the area for being a former sundowner town, a Pekin police officer pulled over a car for a traffic violation, according to an affidavit. Dalton Mattus, 34, was a passenger inside the vehicle, and police say they found a canvas bag under his seat locked with a padlock. When an officer asked what was in the bag, Mattus reportedly said the officer would have to get a warrant to find out. Police took the bag and let Mattus go, then obtained a warrant from a judge and opened the bag inside city hall. There, they found a .45 caliber pistol and two homemade pipe bombs rigged with BBs, evacuated the building, and called in a bomb squad from neighboring Peoria, according to local reports.

Mattus was charged with being a felon in possession of a weapon - his felony stems from a 2018 theft conviction. Police then went to his home and engaged in a brief standoff before arresting Mattus, according to local media. There, police say, they found three more pipe bombs. Authorities haven't said what they believed Mattus planned to do with the bombs, but he allegedly told police that he had made them for protection from "undocumented immigrants and a corrupt government," a local radio station reported. Police told a local TV station that "the general public was not at threat."

Rolling Stone and American Doom analyzed more than 200 of Mattus' social media posts going back to 2016. Starting around June 2020, Mattus' posts suggest he was sucked into the dregs of the far-right internet, where he voraciously consumed and posted about conspiracies and anti-government vitriol.

Among the hundreds of posts Mattus shared over the past several years were his willingness to "go to civil war," and his support for conspiracy theories ranging from chemtrails, to QAnon, to election lies, and sweeping anti-government conspiracies. In March 2023, Mattus changed his profile picture to an upside-down American flag with the phrase, "We are not OK."

"To everybody that is disgusted with the way our government is being ran," Mattus said in an April 2023 TikTok video. "There needs to be, like, a call to arms. Something needs to happen - now."

Kevin Johnson, Tazewell County's lead prosecutor, tells American Doom and Rolling Stone: "It's very possible that there will be some additional charges, including some of the things that you're asking about. Obviously we're investigating that aspect of it, including why he had those devices."

American Doom and Rolling Stone attempted to contact an attorney for Mattus but could not identify one. The Tazewell County Public Defender's Office said Mattus does not have an attorney assigned from their office. The county prosecutor said his office does not currently have information about an attorney for Mattus.

...

* Reactions disabled on political threads.

What are your thoughts? Log in or sign up to comment

Replies:

App
~ 3 mos, 16 days ago

What time in history has the U.S. government been perfect? I am so tired of these internet warriors taking up the cause of liberty. Read a book, listen to an audiobook, but quit listening to propaganda. Join the military and learn about integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do, which are the core values of the U.S. Air Force.

If you want to change things: VOTE!

* Reactions disabled on political threads.

12
~ 3 mos, 16 days ago

@mypeez :
But remember, it's not a cult.

* Reactions disabled on political threads.

This discussion has been locked.

« Back to Main Page

# Replies: 2

Own a local business? Create a business page to connect with neighbors and gain new customers. Learn more »