Five members of the white nationalist Patriot Front group in Washington state are suing an activist who infiltrated the group and then exposed its members, causing some of them to lose their jobs for their affiliation with the violence-loving domestic terrorist group, the Seattle Times reports.
David Alan Capito, 37, also known as Vyacheslav Arkhangelskiy and Vincent Washington, pretended to support the group’s xenophobic and hate-filled rhetoric, ultimately becoming a regular attendee at events. Named the groups official photographer, he would take photos of the participants at group events, and he also surreptitiously photographed their vehicles, including their license plates. He also worked with an unspecified group of activist hackers who, with Capito’s help, were able to access online chats of group members.
Washington residents Colton Brown, 33, the leader of the chapter; James Julius Johnson, 37; and his wife Amelia Johnson, 31, joined Paul Gancarz of Virginia, a one-time leader of the Washington chapter, and Daniel Turetchi of Pennsylvania in bringing the federal lawsuit against Capito.
In court documents, Patriot Front claims to be a “nonviolent” group dedicated to “reforge … our people, born to this nation of our European race … as a new collective capable of asserting our right to cultural independence.” They charge he illegally accessed their computer accounts, illegally distributed personal information and perpetrated a fraud against the group and its individuals.