Two individuals are facing serious allegations of plotting to establish a ‘homeless army’ to take over an island and subject its inhabitants to sexual exploitation. Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, aged 21, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, aged 20, both from Dallas, Texas, are accused of devising a scheme to eliminate all male residents on Haiti’s Gonave Island and commit sexual offenses against women and children. The pair has been formally charged in the United States with conspiracy to commit murder, maim, or kidnap in a foreign country, as well as the production of child pornography for allegedly coercing a minor into engaging in sexually explicit activities.
According to federal prosecutors, Weisenburg and Thomas planned to procure a boat and firearms, then enlist homeless individuals in the District of Columbia to form a mercenary group. One of the accused even purportedly joined the US military to acquire training for an armed assault aimed at instigating a coup d’état on the island, as stated in the indictment.
Gonave Island, situated approximately 38 miles off the coast of mainland Haiti, spans about 290 square miles and houses around 87,000 residents. Legal representatives for both defendants have announced that they will plead not guilty. John Helms, Thomas’ attorney, asserted that the accused never took any steps to carry out the alleged plan.
Helms expressed skepticism about the prosecution’s ability to demonstrate Weisenburg and Thomas’s true intentions. Weisenburg reportedly enrolled in a fire academy in Dallas to gain relevant training but was unsuccessful. Subsequently, he purportedly planned to learn sailing in Thailand but did not follow through due to financial constraints.
As per the indictment, Thomas enlisted in the US Air Force in January and informed Weisenburg via social media about his military involvement to advance their shared agenda. While in the US Air Force, Thomas reportedly transferred to Andrews Air Base in Maryland to aid in the recruitment of homeless individuals in Washington, D.C.
The US Air Force Office of Special Investigations was involved in the case, as per the US Attorney’s Office. The Air Force did not provide immediate comments on Thomas’ service when contacted. If convicted, the defendants could face up to 30 years in prison for child pornography charges and potentially life imprisonment for conspiracy charges.