6 days ago
Disturbing Nazi haul is found inside unsuspecting suburban home
Investigators seized a disturbing cache of Nazi paraphernalia, machine guns, grenade launchers and armor during the raid of a quiet suburban home in Washington state.
Charles Ethan Fields, 26, and Levi Austin Frakes, 27, were arrested Tuesday night after an FBI special weapons and tactics team swarmed on their residence in Lacey, near the state capitol of Olympia.
Officers raided the duo's home in connection to their investigation into a 'violent robbery and theft of military weaponry/armor' at a nearby military base.
Agents seized 35 firearms at the home, including short barrel rifles, handguns, and a MG42 machine gun, a type typically supported with a bipod and was used by German troops during World War II.
They also seized various explosives, body armor, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and other equipment, some of which was restricted Army-issued munitions, according a criminal complaint obtained by the Daily Mail.
The weapons were stored in the phone alongside Nazi flags and paraphernalia and the pair were 'actively involved in Nazi White Nationalist efforts', Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said.
The federal complaint filed Wednesday in US District Court charges Fields and Frakes with robbery, assault and theft of government property.
Fields and Frakes, who are former military members, also face investigation on state charges of unlawful possession of incendiary devices, short-barreled rifles and a machine gun.
Fields and Frakes entered Joint Base Lewis-McCord Sunday evening, partially masked and were wearing Army Rangers fitness attire, the complaint states.
An Army Ranger found the pair inside the Central Operations Facility with a cluster of military property around them, prosecutors claim.
The soldier confronted the duo and a fight ensued with one of the suspects allegedly brandishing a hammer and using it to assault the officer.
The suspect struck the soldier in his head and torso, causing 'bodily harm' and a 'large amount of blood loss', according to the complaint.
The soldier fought back and managed to gain control of the hammer, but one of the suspects pulled out a knife.
The victim surrendered and the pair fled the compound with a cache of government property worth estimated $14,000, prosecutors allege.
Surveillance cameras captured the duo as they fled. The pair allegedly dropped two backpacks and a hat with the name 'Fields' written inside as they tried to escape.
In addition to the slew of weapons, police found white supremacy memorabilia, murals, and literature in every bedroom of the home
Investigators found a bolt cutter, latex gloves and disposable face masks at the scene. Officials believe the duo 'likely used the bolt cutter to gain access into the facility', the complaint states.
Using base entry logs and surveillance video, investigators determined that Fields and Frakes had entered Lewis-McChord together about an hour before the attack, investigators said.
Additionally, the wounded soldier, who required hospital treatment, told investigators that he asked around his unit about the name Fields after finding it on the hat.
The soldier learned that Fields had been assigned to the Ranger Battalion around 2021, and he was able to identify him as one of the attackers based on photos shown to him by others in his unit, the complaint said.
The complaint did not include details of Frakes' military service.
The FBI executed a search warrant at a home shared by the defendants on Monday and arrested them.
In addition to the slew of weapons, police found white supremacy memorabilia, murals, and literature in every bedroom of the home.
They also seized personal electronic devices, clothing believed to be worn during the assault, and approximately $24,000 in cash.
One of the defendants told investigators they had been stealing equipment from the base for the past two years to sell or trade, the complaint states.
Fields and Frakes are each being held at the Pierce County Jail on $500,000 bail.
