ANDY NGO REPORTS: First Antifa terrorism convictions in US history

It is the first known case in U.S. history in which Antifa members have officially admitted to being part of an organized Antifa cell.

On Nov. 19, Seth Sikes, Joy Abigail Gibson, Lynette Read Sharp, Nathan Baumann and John Phillip Thomas each admitted to one count of providing material support to terrorists for their role in the shooting attack on the Prairieland facility in Alvarado, Texas, that resulted in a police officer being shot in the neck and other officers being fired upon.

As part of their plea deals, which would see them imprisoned for no more than 15 years (they were facing up to decades in prison), they also agreed to a set of stipulated, or formally agreed-upon, facts of the case.

“Beginning on or about July 3, 2025, and continuing until on or about July 4, 2025, in the Northern District of Texas, [defendant name] planned with others to provide resources and personnel, including [himself/herself], knowing and intending that they would be used to carry out acts of terrorism,” Baumann, Gibson, and Sikes admitted were true in the court filing. They admitted that the terrorism was “calculated to influence or affect the conduct of government by intimidation or coercion, or to retaliate against government conduct.”

In Baumann’s stipulated facts, he admitted: “Baumann found that others who participated in the acts against Prairieland adhered to an Antifa, revolutionary anarchist or autonomous Marxist ideology that is anti-law enforcement, anti-immigration enforcement, and calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and the system of law. Antifa is a militant enterprise that advocates insurrection and violence to affect the policy and conduct of the U.S. government by intimidation and coercion. In line with his Antifa ideology, on or about July 3 and July 4, Baumann, along with others, participated in the planning of the ‘direct action’ against Prairieland set for the night of July 4, to influence and affect the conduct of the government by intimidation and coercion…”

All five who pleaded guilty admitted that the “Antifa cell” had “conducted an act of terrorism.”

Sikes’ admission provided more detail about how the North Texas Antifa cell operated: “Sikes and his coconspirators adhered to an Antifa, anarchist ideology and organized cells or ‘affinity groups’ around their beliefs.” Formally organized Antifa networks are decentralized, with militants forming cells calling themselves “affinity groups.”

Nathan Baumann, Joy Gibson and Seth Sikes admitted to committing terrorism.

Gibson’s admission detailed how they planned for the terror attack: “Some of those who participated had gone to Prairieland during the day on July 4 to conduct reconnaissance. Using an encrypted messaging application, Gibson shared a photograph showing the location of a Prairieland surveillance camera in a group chat that included other participants in the July 4 ‘direct action’ against Prairieland.”

Baumann, Gibson, and Sikes admitted that they dressed in black bloc, the unofficial Antifa black uniform and mask, “in order to conceal their identities from law enforcement and provide cover for each other to commit crimes without being identified.”

Joy Gibson and the other defendants admitted to these facts and signed their names that this was true when they pleaded guilty. Image: U.S. DOJ

The three also admitted that a “co-conspirator-1,” identified by this journalist as Benjamin Hanil Song based on other documents and evidence, stood about 200 meters from the main group with an AR-15. Baumann admitted Song fired upon the facility to help him try to escape.

Sharp and Thomas, who were not present on the night of the shooting, both admitted to helping Song evade arrest for days. Sharp admitted that the day after the attack, she learned from him that he was hiding out in the woods near the facility. She and Thomas admitted to conspiring with others to provide property, lodging, communications equipment, personnel, or transportation for Song.

Benjamin Hanil Song is the suspected ringleader of the North Texas Antifa cell

Sharp admitted to having the lead role in helping Song while he was an FBI and Texas Most Wanted fugitive for 11 days. She admitted to using an encrypted messaging application, identified elsewhere as Signal, to communicate with Song and arrange for him to be picked up and housed in an apartment in northern Texas.

“Then on July 6, Sharp provided Coconspirator-1 with clothing, a whig [sic], a face covering, and other items so Coconspirator-1 could disguise his appearance from law enforcement,” Sharp admitted. “Later, Sharp arranged for Coconspirator-1 to be brought to a public parking lot to hand him off to another coconspirator, who drove Coconspirator-1 to a different apartment.”

The plea deals follow the indictment of seven additional suspects, bringing the total to nine so far.

On Nov. 14, Benjamin Song, Savanna Batten, Bradford Morris (a Trantifa known as “Meagan Morris”), Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, Ines Soto, and Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada were indicted on federal crimes, including providing material support to terrorists, rioting, using weapons and explosives, obstruction, and attempted murder.

Cameron Arnold (a Trantifa known as “Autumn Hill”) and Zachary Evetts were indicted on similar terrorism charges on Oct. 15, marking the first time in U.S. history any Antifa members had been formally accused at the federal level of terrorism crimes.

Potentially facing life in prison if convicted on all counts at trial, many of the members of the cell have taken or are expected to take plea deals in which they admit to being part of the organized North Texas Antifa cell that carried out the terror attack.

Rebecca Morgan and at least one other defendant are expected to plead guilty in court next week. There are 18 total suspects in the Prairieland facility shooting, with some facing state and/or federal charges. The five who have pleaded guilty to federal charges are still facing state charges by Johnson County prosecutors.