A Fort Bragg soldier who allegedly sought “to physically remove as many” racial minorities from eastern North Carolina “by whatever means need be” pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegal possession of an unregistered short barrel rifle, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
Noah Edwin Anthony, 23, was apprehended on March 3 after gate security personnel performing random vehicle inspections discovered a loaded 9mm “Glock Like” ghost gun — a weapon with no serial number — in the vehicle’s center console.
Military Police called to the scene when Anthony failed to furnish paperwork for the weapon searched the vehicle and found two extended magazines, ammunition, “Nazi type patches” and an American flag with a Swastika in place of the blue field and stars, according to the release.
The discovery prompted a subsequent search of Anthony’s barracks room, where authorities found a 3D-printed FGC-9 rifle without a serial number, magazines for various firearms, a lower receiver, a trove of white supremacist paraphernalia and electronics that contained evidence of Anthony’s self-titled “operation” to target minorities.
Personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined the unserialized FGC-9 to be in violation of the National Firearms Act, which, beyond serial number legalities, mandates rifle barrels be no shorter than 16 inches.
Anthony, meanwhile, is the second Fort Bragg soldier to be investigated in recent months for ties to white nationalism. In August, Killian Mackeithan Ryan, a fire support specialist, was arrested and booted from the Army “for serious misconduct” after investigators discovered he was using numerous Instagram accounts “associated with racially motivated extremism,” according to court records.
In one particular Instagram post, Ryan claimed to have joined the military “for combat experience so I’m more proficient in killing” Black people, investigators said.
Army Times’ request for comment from Fort Bragg has not been returned as of publication, though in an earlier statement provided to North Carolina news outlet WRAL a spokesperson at the installation said the service “does not tolerate extremist ideologies, racism or hate.”
“We are a values-based organization and put the safety of our Paratroopers first,” the spokesperson from the 82nd Airborne Division told WRAL. “Any actions that detract from the good order and discipline of our unit are addressed in a swift and prudent manner.”
Personnel from the FBI, Army Criminal Investigation Division and ATF are continuing to investigate the case.
Anthony is expected to be sentenced later this year. He faces up to 10 years in prison.
J.D. Simkins is the executive editor of Military Times and Defense News, and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.
