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The disgraced neo-Nazi Marine and his civilian accomplices hated all non-white people and hoped to start a race war, authorities say.
A former Marine sentenced to 108 months in prison on Monday for firebombing a Southern California Planned Parenthood clinic in 2022 also targeted Pride Night at Dodger Stadium and sought to disrupt the Orange County power grid through further attacks with the stated goal of starting a race war.
Chase Bannon, who was 24 at the time of the bombing, was sentenced to 108 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Chance Brannon on Monday for the firebombing Costa Mesa Planned Parenthood Clinic on March 13, 2022. The clinic was attacked with a Molotov cocktail and the clinic had to reschedule many appointments as a result of the attack.
Bannon pleaded guilty in November of 2023 to one count each of conspiracy, malicious destruction of property by fire and explosives, possession of an unregistered destructive device; and the destruction of a reproductive health services facility.
An active duty Marine stationed in Camp Pendleton at the time of the attack, Bannon was arrested in June of 2023 just days before the targeted Pride Night at Dodger Stadium. He was also reportedly plotting to rob Jewish residents in the Hollywood Hills at the time of his arrest.
“This defendant’s deep-seated hatred led him to commit a firebombing and plan many other acts of violence, including starting a race war,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. “This prosecution sends a message that we will act decisively to protect all members of our community from acts of violence, and that we will remain united against hate.”
Bannon and his accomplices Tibet Ergul, 22, of Irvine, and Xavier Batten, 21, of Brooksville, Fla., were driven by a hatred of non-white people and sought to create a race war through targeted attacks. A second attack on a family planning clinic was canceled at the last minute when Bannon and Ergul saw the facility had a police presence.
The group continued to plan attacks in furtherance of the race war goals.
“Can we just be done with elections and have the race war already?” Bannon messaged a friend according to prosecutors.
Bannon and Ergul reportedly discussed using a remote-controlled explosive device in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium on Pride Night, performing “dry runs” to surveil security at the site and researched Unabomber Ted Kaczynski for inspiration. Bannon reportedly kept plans to disrupt Orange County’s power grid hidden in a flash drive disguised as a U.S. Marine-style necklace.
Prosecutors say Bannon was driven by an “extremist neo-Nazi ideology” and a hatred of non-white individuals. He once commented to a friend that “all Jews deserve to die,” told another that Adolf Hitler was “a great man who loved his people and tried to save us all from the Jews,” and routinely greeted friends using the Heil Hitler salute.
Earlier this year, Ergul and Batten pleaded guilty to multiple charges for their roles in the attack. They are scheduled to be sentenced in May.
