FALLS CHURCH, Va. — A Falls Church man has been sentenced to prison after officials say he stockpiled weapons in anticipation of a civil war after attending the Capitol Riot on Jan. 6, 2021 before telling a person undercover for the FBI about his antisemitic, anti-government ideologies.
According to the Department of Justice, 41-year-old Hatchet Speed was sentenced to three years in prison for "unlawful possession of unregistered silencers."
Court documents show Speed began panic-buying firearms in early 2021. Officials say between February and May 2021, he was able to buy at least 12 firearms and spent more than $40,000 at stores that sold firearms, firearm accessories and ammunition.
Speed reportedly began stockpiling weapons after attending the incursion at the U.S. Capitol. The Department of Justice says Speed "anticipated civil war and spoke of the need for political violence."
A federal judge convicted Speed, a Navy Reservist, for his part in the mob that occupied the U.S. Capitol in an effort to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
In March 2021, Speed bought three silencers from a company in Georgia. Those silencers were marketed as “solvent traps” to be used when cleaning the barrel of a gun even though they were actually designed to serve as silencers.
Prosecutors say the silencers were not registered with the Speed in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by law. Since the registration requirement was skipped, Speed was able to get the silencers within a week of buying them.
Early last year, Speed met with an undercover FBI employee. During the meetings, Speed spoke about his antisemitic, anti-government ideologies. He also talked about taking violent actions to advance his beliefs while praising the approach of jihadists. Officials say he suggested a jihadists approach would be an effective way to “wipe out” the opposition, referring to Jewish people.
Additionally, Speed told the undercover FBI employee about his attempts to identify targets who were “reachable," stating that he thought about using a “mock trial” to decide which people to add to “the list.” He also suggested the "solvent traps" he had purchased, meaning his unregistered silencers, would come in handy.
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