The Bowl Gang

Dylann Roof has become a minor racist celebrity in white supremacist circles, and fear of copycat attacks is very real. An entire subculture in white supremacy has arisen around this cult of personality, including an unofficial organization known as the “Bowl Patrol.” The name comes from Roof’s distinctive bowl cut, and some members have gone so far as to emulate his hairstyle.

Overview

Copycat killings are a real concern in any high-profile act. After Dylann Roof murdered nine people at a Black church in 2015, aiming to start a race war, he rose to a position of reverence among other white supremacists who wanted nothing more than to see more minorities murderd. An entire subculture has arisen around this act; the Bowl Patrol or Bowl Gang is a group of violent, vulgar white supremacists; true crime tumblr is something that, remarkably, exists; and the threat of copycat killings is as great as it was after Columbine or other similar events.

First Vigil is tracking the court cases of a number of individuals who have been detained while in the process of conspiring or planning to commit a copycat attack. Benjamin McDowell was arrested in 2017 for trying to purchase a gun to go on a killing spree against a Jewish congregation; in his conversations with an undercover law enforcement agent, he referenced Dylan Roof’s deed. McDowell, a previous felon, has a history with mental health concerns; his longtime doctor stated that he functions at a roughly third-grade intellectual level. McDowell entered a plea agreement and was sentenced to 33 months in prison.¹

McDowell is not the only person taken down using Federal gun control legislation. Jeffrey Clark used the display name “DC BOWL GANG” on his Gab account; Clark had known ties to alleged Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue shooter Robert Bowers.² He was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm as a drug user. Evidence photos from his apartment show a dark, filthy living area with white supremacist literature, guns, and other tactical gear. Atomwaffen posters were found among his belongings.

Recently, the FBI arrested a pair of true-crime aficionados from Maumee, OH. Liz Lecron³ and Vincent Armstrong⁴ had allegedly been planning a Dylann Roof style attack, and had taken steps to acquire explosives and firearms. Maumee, OH, is the same city that convicted Charlottesville murderer James Fields was from. Lecron was one of only four people that Dylann Roof has written back to so far, according to court documents.

The FBI also monitored Dakota Reed⁵, a Washington-area white supremacist with alleged ties to the Ku Klux Klan and the Northwest Front. Reed had made several Facebook posts threatening to perform a school shooting or shoot up a synagogue.

The evidence presented in the court documents provides enlightening details on how the FBI tracks and monitors such activity. It also reveals networks and patterns of actions that can be studied to help keep vulnerable communities free from white supremacist violence.

Case Summary

USA v Lecron et al (US District Court (Northern Ohio) — 3:19-cr-00004-JGC)
Awaiting Trial 07-March-2019 (2:00 PM, Courtroom 204 — Detention Hearing, def. Armstrong)
Lecron and Armstrong were members of the true crime tumblr community who had idolized Dylann Roof. They are alleged to have been making material steps towards terror-style attacks; Lecron had been in correspondence with Roof himself.
Elizabeth Lecron a.k.a. Bee ligaturemark	Conspiracy to Transport of Receive an Explosive with Intent to Kill, Injury, or Intimidate Any Individual, and Maliciously Damage or Destroy by Fire or Explosive 18 U.S.C. § 844(n) (United States Code)	Indicted	Up to 10 years
	Conspiracy to Use a Destructive Device During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence 18 U.S.C. § 924(o) (United States Code)	Indicted	Up to 20 years
	Conspiracy to Use Firearms during and in Relation to a Crime of Violence 18 U.S.C. § 924(o) (United States Code)	Indicted	Up to 20 years
	Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i) (United States Code)	Indicted	5 years to 20 years
	Transporting Explosives in Interstate Commerce 18 U.S.C. § 844(d) (United States Code)	Indicted	Up to 10 years
Vincent Armstrong a.k.a. societysheretic	Conspiracy to Transport of Receive an Explosive with Intent to Kill, Injury, or Intimidate Any Individual, and Maliciously Damage or Destroy by Fire or Explosive 18 U.S.C. § 844(n) (United States Code)	Indicted	Up to 10 years
	Conspiracy to Use a Destructive Device During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence 18 U.S.C. § 924(o) (United States Code)	Indicted	Up to 20 years
	Conspiracy to Use Firearms during and in Relation to a Crime of Violence 18 U.S.C. § 924(o) (United States Code)	Indicted	Up to 20 years
	Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i) (United States Code)	Indicted	5 years to 20 years
	Making False Statements 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2) (United States Code)	Indicted	Up to 5 years
USA v Clark, Jeffrey (US District Court (District of Columbia) — 1:18-cr-00338)
Awaiting Trial 13-March-2019 (Status Conference)
Jeffrey Clark is the brother of the late Edward Clark, who allegedly killed himself hours after his Gab contact, Robert Bowers, allegedly murdered eleven people in a synagogue in Pittsburgh. Both Clark brothers were active in the DC alt-right scene, attended Unite the Right in Charlottesville, and were apparently close with organizer Jason Kessler. Jeffrey was charged with weapons charges after his family members contacted the FBI concerned about his social media posts.
Jeffrey Rafael Clark, Jr. a.k.a. Jeffrey Clark DC Bowl Gang @PureWhiteEvil Affiliations: Vanguard America (suspected) Bowl Patrol (suspected) Alt Right (suspected) Atomwaffen (suspected) Proud Boys	Unlawful possession of firearms by person who is unlawful user of a controlled substance 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3) (United States Code)	Indicted	Up to 10 years
	Possessing high capacity magazines § 7-2506.01 (Code of the District of Columbia)	Indicted	Up to 1 year
USA v McDowell, Benjamin (US District Court (South Carolina) — 4:17-cr-00161-RBH)
Closed
McDowell was arrested for purchasing a firearm from an undercover law enforcement officer. In conversations with the officer, as well as in Facebook posts, McDowell expressed reverence for Dylann Roof and talked of a copycat attack at a synagogue.
Benjamin Thomas Samuel McDowell a.k.a. Benji McDowell Samuel McDowell Benjamin McDowell	Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2) and 924(e) (United States Code)	Convicted (Plea)	33 months
County Sheriff Snohomish v Dakota Dean Reed (Snohomish County (WA) Superior Court — 18-2-11024-31)
Closed
Dakota Reed is alleged to have made Facebook posts threatening to re-enact a violent Dylann Roof-style attack. The county sheriff sought, and received, an extreme risk protection order against him.
Dakota Dean Reed a.k.a. Dakota Reed William King William King II William King III Tom Shill Tom Shill II Tom Shilly Affiliations: Northwest Front The Knights Party Ku Klux Klan	Extreme Risk Protection Order 7.94.040(3)(a),(b),(h),(j) (Washington Code)	Granted	Up to 1 year
State of Florida v Robert Kehne Moeller (Brevard County (FL) Court — 05-2018-CF-057703-AXXX-XX)
Closed
Robert Moeller helped organize a caravan from Florida to drive to Unite the Right in Charlottesville. In December of 2018, he was convicted of driving under the influence, cannabis possession, and resisting an officer.
Robert Kehne Moeller a.k.a. Robert Moeller Tactical Bowlcut Affiliations: Bowl Patrol (suspected) The Florida Gators (suspected)	Driving under the influence 316.193.1 (Florida Penal Code)	Convicted (Plea)	License revoked for 12 months
	Possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis 893.13.6B (Florida Penal Code)	Convicted (Plea)	1 day
	Resisting officer without violence 843.02(C) (Florida Penal Code)	Convicted (Plea)	Sentence combined with cannabis sentence
	Tampering with physical evidence 918.13 (Florida Penal Code)	Dismissed	2 years to 10 years

Evidence

A capture of one of Dakota Reed's suspected Facebook profiles showing him in a gas mask with a rifle

A capture of one of Dakota Reed's suspected Facebook profiles showing a rifle on a neo-Nazi flag

Evidence showing Jeffrey Clark holding a Vanguard America flag

Evidence showing Clark's Gab profile, with a header image featuring Dylann Roof

Evidence showing Atomwaffen posters in Clark's residence

Evidence showing tactical gear in Clark's residence

Evidence showing Clark sharing a post by prominent Bowl cultist Vic Mackey

Evidence showing Clark's living quarters

Document List

References

All people on this list are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Arrests, charges, and indictments are not considered evidence of wrongdoing. All defendants presented herein have a right to due process. The public also has a right to learning the disposition of their cases.