Two individuals are facing allegations of conspiring to create a ‘homeless army’ to take over an island and subject its inhabitants to sexual slavery. Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, residents of Dallas, Texas, are accused of devising a plan to eliminate all male individuals on Gonave Island in Haiti and exploit women and children. The duo has been formally charged in the US with conspiracy to commit murder, maim, or abduct in a foreign land, as well as the production of child pornography involving convincing a minor to engage in sexually explicit activities.
According to federal prosecutors, Weisenburg and Thomas intended to procure a boat and firearms while enlisting homeless individuals from the District of Columbia to form a mercenary group. One of them reportedly joined the US military to undergo training for an armed assault with the objective of instigating a coup on the island.
Situated approximately 38 miles off the Haitian mainland, Gonave Island spans about 290 square miles and is inhabited by around 87,000 people. Legal representatives for both defendants have indicated they will plead not guilty. John Helms, Thomas’ attorney, expressed doubt about the prosecution’s ability to prove the duo’s intent to carry out the scheme, citing Weisenburg’s unsuccessful enrollment in a fire academy and aborted sailing lessons in Thailand due to financial constraints.
The indictment reveals that Thomas enlisted in the US Air Force and informed Weisenburg via social media about leveraging his military position for their planned operation. Allegedly, Thomas transferred to Andrews Air Base in Maryland to assist in recruiting homeless individuals in Washington, D.C. The US Air Force Office of Special Investigations was involved in the case, though the Air Force has yet to comment on Thomas’ status.
If convicted of the child pornography offense, the defendants could face up to 30 years in prison, while the conspiracy charge carries a potential life sentence.