24-04-2025
3 Americans accused in failed Congo coup plead not guilty in court
SALT LAKE CITY () — The three Americans, including two Utahns, accused of participating in a failed coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo appeared in a federal court in Utah.
Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 37, Tyler Thompson, 22, and Marcel Malanga, 22 were presented before a federal judge at 2 p.m. on Thursday. Thomson and Malanga are from Utah. All three were wearing Weber County Inmate shirts.
Malanga, Moesser, and Thompson all pleaded not guilty. They are , including conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb places of government facilities, and conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Four Americans accused of Congo coup attempt now facing federal charges in Salt Lake City
On April 8, Congo agreed to return the three Americans to U.S. soil to serve their sentences in their own country.
Malanga and Thomson claim to have evidence to support their innocence. The U.S. Department of Justice said they will work with the defendants to understand the case. A Discovery Conference is set for June 10 at 10 a.m.
The detention hearing is set for May 28 at 1:30 p.m.
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