Coast Guard Officer Accused Of Terror Plot Pleads Guilty

SILVER SPRING, MD — A U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant accused of being a domestic terrorist with plans to murder a list of Democratic lawmakers and journalists pleaded guilty Thursday to four federal gun and drug charges, according to court records.

Christopher Paul Hasson — a self-proclaimed white nationalist from Silver Spring — has been working as an acquisitions officer at the Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C., since 2016. He was arrested on gun and drug charges in February after authorities said they found 15 firearms and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition in his basement apartment.

Prosecutors have repeatedly said those charges are the "proverbial tip of the iceberg" and that he was planning to launch a domestic terror attack.

According to court documents filed by prosecutors, Hasson planned attacks on the United States and targeted politicians including presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren, D-MA; Cory Booker, D-NJ; and Kamala Harris, D-CA. Other prominent public figures on the list included MSNBC's Chris Hayes and Joe Scarborough and CNN's Don Lemon, and Chris Cuomo.

"The defendant is a domestic terrorist, bent on committing acts dangerous to human life that are intended to affect governmental conduct," said officials with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Maryland.

At Thursday's court hearing, prosecutors made no mention of domestic terrorism, according to multiple media outlets. So far, Hasson hasn't faced any terrorism-related charges.

Court records did not reveal when Hasson planned to strike, but said he had stockpiled supplies since 2017. Authorities claim Hasson, a former Marine, wanted to establish a "white homeland."

In court in February, federal prosecutor Jennifer Sykes said Hasson used his government computer at work to search for people such as the Virginia Tech gunman, the Unabomber, and Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik, who was convicted in 2011 of killing 77 people in two terror attacks.

"This is not an isolated activity," Sykes said. "This is something that is being done for hours on end while he is at work."

When agents searched his workplace, they also found at least 100 pills believed to be the narcotic painkiller Tramadol.

According to court documents, Hasson amassed the pills "to increase his ability to conduct attacks," which was in line with Breivik's manifesto.

The Coast Guard said Hasson remained on active duty pending an administrative investigation, The Washington Post reports. That investigation will begin when Hasson's case is concluded.

Hasson faces two charges of unlawful possession of firearm silencers, which attorneys asked a judge to dismiss last month, arguing the charges violate Hasson's Second Amendment right to bear arms. But prosecutors said other courts have held that the Second Amendment doesn't cover silencers.

Hasson also is charged with possession of firearms by unlawful user or addict of a controlled substance, and illegal possession of Tramadol.

When Hasson made his first court appearance in February, public defender Julie Stelzig called the court documents filed against her client "inflammatory," saying the "15-page document is throwing a whole bunch of stuff against the wall and hoping it will stick."

The government — however — said Hasson has espoused extremist views for years, and that his internet searches, gun and drug purchases, and emails make him a danger to the community.