(HorizonPost.com) – An Arizona firearms dealer who allegedly sold weapons to an undercover agent he thought would help him carry out a plot to attack minorities and “incite a race war” before the election was indicted by a federal grand jury last week on multiple charges.
According to a June 11 press release from the US Attorney’s Office in Arizona, 58-year-old Mark Adams Prieto of Prescott, Arizona was indicted on firearms trafficking, possession of an unregistered firearm, and transfer of a firearm for use in a hate crime.
Between January and March this year while under surveillance by the FBI and ATF, Prieto allegedly discussed with two undercover FBI agents a plot to commit a mass shooting of blacks and other minorities to trigger a race war.
Prieto alleged wanted to commit the mass shooting before the November presidential election but after Super Tuesday so they would know the presumptive presidential nominees, according to the indictment.
Prieto planned to target a concert scheduled at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena for May 14 and May 15. While the indictment does not say which concert Prieto planned to attack, the State Farm Arena events schedule shows that Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny was performing on those dates.
After discussing the details of his planned attack, Prieto allegedly sold one of the agents an AK-style rifle on February 25. A month later, he sold the same agent an AR-style rifle.
Prieto was stopped by law enforcement in New Mexico on May 14 as he was making his way to Atlanta on Interstate 40 with seven firearms in his vehicle. He was taken into federal custody and law enforcement searched his Prescott home where they found more firearms, including a short-barreled rifle that was not registered.
According to court records, a federal judge in New Mexico remanded Prieto into federal custody, saying he would pose an “extreme” danger to the community if he was released.
If convicted on all three charges, Prieto could face a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, along with a $750,000 fine.
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