Man Tied To White Supremacist Groups Pleads Guilty To Gun Charges

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A McLean man with ties to white supremacist groups and who was at Charlottesville's Unite the Right rally pleaded guilty to gun charges in Alexandria federal court Tuesday.

Andrew Thomasberg, 21, pleaded guilty on charges of material false statement in relation to the purchase of a firearm and to possessing firearms while being an unlawful user of or addicted to controlled substances.

According to an affidavit, Thomasberg made a straw purchase while working at Sterling Arsenal in October 2017. He had claimed to make the purchase for himself. In reality, he was purchasing the gun for a third party and transferred it to that person.

In June 2019, FBI agents carried out a search warrant on unrelated charges at the third party person's home. The gun was seized from the home.

Prosecutors also say Thomasberg had at least four guns while using drugs such as four firearms marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms and opium. The affidavit showed various drug-related messages exchanged between Thomasberg and the third party person. One of the messages from Thomasberg stated, "Theres nothing more Aryan than entheogenic drug use." Records also show he had applied for a concealed carry permit with the Fairfax County Police Department in July 2019, but that was denied.

Court documents and testimony indicated Thomasberg was associated with white supremacist organizations like Vanguard America and Atomwaffen Division. He became part of Vanguard America and participated in the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. The group had also been part of the torch rally at University of Virginia the night before the violent Unite the Right Rally. After the Charlottesville rally, he joined Atomwaffen Division, which the Southern Poverty Law Center calls a "terroristic national socialist organization."

Thomasberg faces up to 20 years in prison and will be sentenced on Feb. 28, 2020.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.