RICHMOND, VA – Casey Charles Spain, 29, is headed back to prison for a decade after being sentenced to the maximum 10 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The sentence comes less than three weeks after his release from a seven-year stint for a horrific crime, and highlights a disturbing pattern of violent tendencies and radicalization.
Spain’s rap sheet reads like a nightmare. Before his most recent incarceration, he served time for stabbing an individual with a sword. Even more chilling, he was previously convicted of abducting a 15-year-old girl with the intent to rape her. While behind bars for that offense, Spain reportedly underwent a disturbing transformation, pledging allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and even getting an ISIS flag tattoo on his back. Court documents reveal a man consumed by violent ideology, fixated on potential targets like the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, and eager to attack police stations and armories in Richmond.
The FBI caught wind of Spain’s continued extremism immediately upon his release on August 11, 2017. Surveillance revealed that Spain, while communicating with fellow inmates, openly discussed his desire to travel overseas and join ISIS. Agents quickly deployed undercover employees (UCE) and a Confidential Human Source (CHS) to monitor his activities. Spain repeatedly expressed his desire to acquire a firearm, and even started a Facebook account to connect with overseas contacts about serving as a “mujahid” – a fighter – for the terrorist organization.
The operation reached its climax on August 30, 2017. During a meeting with the CHS and a UCE, Spain detailed his plans to purchase a semiautomatic handgun with a 50-round barrel canister. When the CHS offered him a weapon as part of the undercover operation, Spain readily accepted. Unbeknownst to him, the Glock 9mm handgun was an inert prop provided by the FBI. As soon as the exchange took place, FBI Richmond SWAT team members moved in to arrest him.
Spain didn’t go quietly. He attempted to flee the scene, running and jumping a fence, but SWAT members swiftly apprehended him. Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting Assistant Attorney General Edward C. O’Callaghan, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Lee announced the sentencing following a hearing before U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. Trial Attorney Raj Parekh and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hood successfully prosecuted the case, ensuring a dangerous individual is removed from the streets.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat of radicalization within the prison system and the vigilance required to prevent individuals with violent tendencies from acquiring weapons and carrying out attacks. Court documents and further information can be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia website and through PACER, Case No. 3:17-cr-123.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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