Daniel Cowart, a 20-year old from Tennessee, and Paul Schlesselman, an 18-year old from Arkansas, pled not guilty today to seven federal charges. This long list of felonies includes:

• Threatening a presidential candidate
• Plotting a series of robberies
• Plotting multiple murders
• Possessing an illegal firearm
• Transporting an illegal firearm across state boundaries

If convicted on all counts, Cowart and Schlesselman will face up to 50 years in jail and a slew of fines that will likely exceed $500,000.

The Suspects’ Plans

The various felonies with which Cowart and Schlesselman are being charged were all committed in an effort to exact a national crime spree. According to authorities, these two white supremacists were planning to:

• Behead 14 African Americans
• Murder 88 others throughout the United States
• Gun down Obama in a murder-suicide attack

The number “88″ is a significant symbol in skinhead and white supremacist circles, as it is a numerical tribute to Hilter (The number “8″ refers to the eighth letter of the alphabet “H.” Consequently, “88″ translates to “HH,” which is an acronym for “Heil Hitler).

How the Suspects Were Caught

Authorities were able to intervene before any of the above plans were enacted due to a tip phoned in by an acquaintance of the suspects. The informant turned to the police after witnessing Cowart and Schlesselman shooting at a Memphis-area church primarily attended by African Americans.

While an official trial date has yet to be set, authorities, including the Secret Service, are still investigating the extent of the suspects’ plots and crimes.

(Source: New York Times)

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