ANDY NGO REPORTS: Convicted So Cal Antifa member announces he is trans ahead of sentencing, shaves beard

This is part of an exclusive series reporting on the So Cal Antifa cell.

A convicted violent So Cal Antifa member awaiting sentencing has suddenly announced he is transgender. Jeremy Jonathan White, of Los Angeles, was convicted of felony conspiracy to riot last month in San Diego County along with his co-defendant Brian Cortez Lightfoot Jr., who was also convicted of an additional five violent felonies.

Jeremy Jonathan White is a So Cal Antifa member from Los Angeles. Left photo by Ken Stone/Times of San Diego

The 41-year-old man announced on social media that he is now trans "non-binary." The surprise change in identity echoes his declaration at the start of the trial in April that he was suddenly not guilty "by reason of insanity." His counsel later withdrew the plea after he was convicted by the jury. (He could have been institutionalized.)

"This weekend I came out as non-binary to my friends and received the most loving support I could have possibly imagined," White wrote on Instagram on June 18. "Please do what you can to be there for your queer, non-binary and trans comrades." Accompanying the long statement was a photo of White without his beard and wearing an anti-law enforcement hat.

Jeremy Jonathan White, 41, announced he is trans nonbinary ahead of sentencing for his conviction over an organized violent So Cal Antifa attack

Background

White's conviction along with Lightfoot's last month wrapped up nearly three years of investigations by San Diego Police and prosecutors over an extremely violent attack on Donald Trump supporters on Pacific Beach on Jan. 9, 2021. White was part of a roving mob of black-clad masked So Cal Antifa members from Los Angeles and San Diego who came armed with weapons. 

At the trial, jurors saw evidence of the masked extremists blinding their targets with pepper spray, and then assaulting them with melee weapons and projectiles. The victims included a child, a woman, a journalist, a service dog and many others. Some victims testified at trial about being beaten during the incident.


Assault victim 'S.G.' was a school boy at the time of the So Cal Antifa attack. Photo: Ken Stone/Times of San Diego
 

Prosecutors say Jeremy White sprayed bear mace on a dog and his walker on the beach. Photo: Ken Stone/Times of San Diego

12 out of 12 suspects charged over the attack since 2021 were eventually convicted either through plea deals or trial. Two are already serving years in prison. Nine others, including White, await sentencing at the end of this month.

All 12 So Cal Antifa members who were charged have been convicted through plea deals and a trial

The 'ACAB' Man

"ACAB," an acronym of "all cops are bastards," is a slogan used by Antifa and far-left extremists to express hatred of law enforcement and the state. Evidence at the trial showed White used the alias "ACAB Man" on encrypted messaging app Signal and "@theantifasoldier" on Instagram. 

Jurors saw an Instagram exchange White had with a comrade after the riot where he appeared to be preparing for another attack and referenced that he had exhausted his supply of chemical sprays from the Pacific Beach riot. 

Jeremy White claimed to be a volunteer 'medic' but brought along a cache of weapons, prosecutors say. Photo: Ken Stone/Times of San Diego

"I just ran out of bear mace and pepper gel and was hoping to get those but I should be fine," White wrote. They also discussed how to exchange funds through Venmo.

Prosecutor Makenzie Harvey shows jurors photos of defendant Jeremy White, his online monikers and the riot gear he wore at the attack. Photo: Ken Stone/Times of San Diego

White, who is 6 feet 3 inches tall, stood out in the video evidence because of his height and distinctive black armored riot costume and gas mask. He was armed with bear mace, a knife and a taser, jurors heard. His defense attorney Curtis Briggs argued that his client was a peaceful "medic" at the event who was there for racial justice. The 12-person jury didn't buy it and convicted him.

Another Effort to Avoid Prison?

White's sudden claim of being trans non-binary raises questions about whether it is a cynical move for him to be able to request special accommodation away from the general male prison population if he is incarcerated. In California, men who identify as trans are able to request housing among the women's estate. According to a source who knew White in prior years in Los Angeles through his former girlfriend, White had always lived as a heterosexual male who never expressed gender dysphoria.

Jeremy White (circled) led the armed group into violence at the Pacific Beach riot. Photo: Ken Stone/Times of San Diego

When White claimed to be insane to the court in April, he submitted a statement from a hired psychologist alleging that any imprisonment would be "life-threatening." White's attorney told The Post Millennial that he had not "heard anything about it [White's gender change]" when reached for comment. He said was unsure at the moment if he would bring it up at sentencing. White and eight other co-defendants part of So Cal Antifa are scheduled to be sentenced on June 28.

Eva Knott contributed to this report.