4 men arrested in Virginia violence, called ‘serial rioters’
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Four California men described as “serial rioters” are facing federal charges after prosecutors say they flew across the country for a white nationalist rally in Virginia last year and violently attacked counterprotesters.
Federal agents arrested the men Tuesday, and prosecutors identified them as members of the Rise Above Movement, a militant white supremacist group they said espouses anti-Semitic and other racist views and meets regularly to train in boxing and other fighting techniques.
An affidavit filed by an FBI agent alleged the defendants — Benjamin Drake Daley, Michael Paul Miselis, Thomas Walter Gillen and Cole Evan White — have previously taken part in violence at other political rallies in California. Last August, they made their way to the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville with their hands taped, “ready to do street battle,” U.S. Attorney Thomas Cullen said at a press conference announcing the charges.
“In our view, these four committed particularly violent acts in Charlottesville. Secondly, they committed violent acts in California at other rallies. Therefore, in our view, they were essentially serial rioters,” Cullen said.