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Coast Guard Officer Pleads Not Guilty To Gun, Drug Charges In Alleged Terrorism Plot

U.S. Attorney Robert Hur (center) discusses the charges against Christopher Hasson with Art Walker (left) of the Coast Guard investigative service, and FBI special agent Gordon Johnson last month.
U.S. Attorney Robert Hur (center) discusses the charges against Christopher Hasson with Art Walker (left) of the Coast Guard investigative service, and FBI special agent Gordon Johnson last month.

A U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant was arraigned Monday on gun and drug charges in a case authorities say linked him to a plot to killed several prominent Democrats and broadcast journalists.

Christopher Hasson, 49, pleaded not guilty to charges of illegal possession of firearm silencers, possession of firearms by a drug addict and unlawful user, and possession of a controlled substance.

Hasson was arrested last month in the parking lot of the Coast Guard headquarters where he had worked for three years. A search of his Silver Spring, Md., apartment turned up 15 firearms, including seven rifles, and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

According to court documents filed by the government, Hasson was a self-described white nationalist who hoped to establish a "white homeland" through violent means. He also allegedly drew up a computer-speadsheet hit list with the names of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, and other high-ranking Democrats, as well as MSNBC hosts Chris Hayes and Joe Scarborough, and CNN's Don Lemon, Chris Cuomo and Van Jones.

Hasson was not charged with terrorism. His original public defender said federal prosecutors were exaggerating his potential ties to terrorism.

He faces up to 31 years in prison if convicted on all of the charges against him.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Richard Gonzales is NPR's National Desk Correspondent based in San Francisco. Along with covering the daily news of region, Gonzales' reporting has included medical marijuana, gay marriage, drive-by shootings, Jerry Brown, Willie Brown, the U.S. Ninth Circuit, the California State Supreme Court and any other legal, political, or social development occurring in Northern California relevant to the rest of the country.