FBI searches militia suspect's Amherst home

Editor's note: This story was corrected to reflect there was no reported violence at the Second Amendment rally in Virginia. AMHERST — FBI agents searched a Cleveland Avenue home just after midnight Sunday but made no arrests. Special Agent Vicki Anderson declined to comment on the investigation, saying only that the Cleveland FBI "did have a presence" in Amherst that night, and that there were no charges. A heavy transport vehicle rolled up to the home and a search warrant was used to search the building and vehicles, according to Amherst Police Sgt. Mike Murphy. He said a man and woman were told to come out of the home, and they surrendered without incident and were released after the search. Because neither were charged, their names are not being disclosed. The man also was also not charged following a Dec. 29 complaint detailed in an Amherst police report. Arising from an anonymous tip, it said he is part of a 12-member militia group called "Lone Wolves." His Facebook profile includes insignia of the Three Percenters, a far-right paramilitary group that supports gun ownership rights and resistance to what it views as federal overreach. The tipster told police the Amherst man was upset because he believed a debunked rumor that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, planned to use United Nations troops to set up blockades in his state. The Lone Wolves were "going to attack them because the militia group does not want foreign troops on U.S. soil," according to the report. The source also told police the militia groups have a training site in a wooded area in Sardinia, Ohio. "My guess is the FBI took notice and took all precautions," Murphy said. Virginia recently has been a rallying point for Second Amendment groups. Protesters took to the streets around the capitol building in Richmond on Monday for a gun rights demonstration — news reports put their numbers at about 22,000. The rally was a response to a series of gun control measures proposed by Democrats, including a "red flag law" that would allow police to temporarily impound firearms owned by people deemed to be a threat to themselves or others. Accounts said the rally was peaceful. Citing "credible, serious threats," Northam declared a ban on weapons from Capitol grounds. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.