A Boogaloo Boy from San Antonio was indicted Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know about the case.
A San Antonio man and member of the anti-government extremist group the Boogaloo Boys was indicted on a federal weapons charge Wednesday.
Cameron Emerson Casy Rankin, 21, was arrested on Oct. 28 on suspicion of unlawful possession of a weapon after FBI agents said they found a semi-automatic rifle in his Northwest Side apartment. Federal documents said Rankin possessed “the capability and means to affect violence in furtherance of his beliefs and has expressed a desire to overthrow the government.”
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If he is convicted, Rankin could face up to 10 years in federal prison.
Here is what you need to know about the Rankin case:
BOOGALOO BOYS
Boogaloo Boys, also used as “Bois,” want to drive confrontation to bring down the government and are anti-police and pro-gun, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Harris said at Rankin’s court hearing last week.
Experts say the organization is fairly new and emerged from anonymous online message boards. The Boogaloo Boys are often identifiable by their signature Hawaiian shirts.
RANKIN’S HISTORY
Rankin isn’t allowed to possess a firearm because he was admitted to a mental institution in 2008 at the age of 9. Harris said Rankin threw cans of food at a relative and was eventually diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity order and schizophrenia when he was younger. The assistant attorney also said more recently Rankin attempted to stab his foster brother.
Rankin has had a number of arrests over the last several years, including in 2018 when he was charged with interfering with duties of a public servant, but he received a suspended sentence and after six months of probation, the case was dismissed in May 2019.
His social media pages drew concerns after individuals reported photos of Rankin with AK-type firearms and making threats against various government agencies such as the FBI, IRS and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Justice Department said.
FIREARM ARREST
Despite warnings from the ATF, Rankin often posted photos of himself with firearms on social media.
On Aug. 4, he posted a selfie on his Facebook page with a black semi-automatic rifle and his finger on the trigger, captioned “Diligently Plotting to Take Over the World in order to Leave You Alone,” according to a criminal complaint.
Just a week later, Rankin flew out of San Antonio International Airport and checked a semiautomatic handgun in his luggage at the ticket counter. When he arrived in New Hampshire, he was met at the terminal by ATF agents who served him a notice saying he was prohibited from possessing firearms and a copy of his mental health records. Rankin threw both documents away before he left the terminal.
In October, FBI agents searched Rankin’s apartment and found a loaded assault rifle, leading to his arrest on one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, according to the complaint.
GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS
In June, Rankin was also part of the group that said it was protecting the Alamo during downtown protests in response to the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed while in Minneapolis police custody.
Rankin and several others showed up the historic site with long guns and pistols, wearing bulletproof vests.
In a video discovered from that day, Rankin can be seen telling protesters “We’re against the state. We don’t like the state. Y’all don’t like the state, we don’t like the state. We just don’t want you touching the monuments. If y’all go burn down the police station, we won’t stop you. We won’t stop you burning down the police station.”
Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | [email protected] | @TaylorPettaway
