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Machine Gun Possession Lands Four Men Behind Bars
URBANA, Illinois – In a shocking turn of events, four men from rural east central Illinois have been arrested and charged with possession of a machine gun. The men, identified as Michael B. Hari, 47; Joe Morris, 22; Michael McWhorter, 29; and, Ellis Mack, 18, all of Clarence, Ill., a rural community approximately 35 miles north of Champaign-Urbana, were taken into custody by FBI agents this morning.
Hari, who was reportedly traveling to a court appearance in Ford County, Illinois, for a hearing in an alleged assault case, was the first to be arrested. He and Morris made their initial appearances in federal court this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long. McWhorter and Mack will make their respective initial appearances at a date to be determined by the U.S. Clerk of the Court.
The arrest and charges were announced by FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Cox, Springfield Division, and U.S. Attorney John E. Childress. According to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, the four men were in possession of assault rifles from October 2017 to March 2018.
The investigation, which is ongoing, has also revealed evidence linking Hari, McWhorter, and Morris to the bombing of a mosque in Bloomington, Minnesota, on August 5, 2017, and the attempted bombing of the Women’s Health Practice in Champaign, Illinois, on November 7, 2017.
Law enforcement agents executed search warrants at the home of Hari’s parents in Paxton, Illinois, and at a store/office owned by Hari in Clarence. The search warrants were part of a larger investigation into the men’s activities.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason M. Bohm and Eugene L. Miller are representing the government on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Urbana Division, Central District of Illinois, working in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The public is reminded to await further developments in this case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation; Springfield Division; FBI Minneapolis Division; University of Illinois Police Department; Ford County Sheriff’s Office; Champaign Police Department; Illinois State Police; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are continuing the investigation.
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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