Guns, explosive material seized from Springfield man tied to 'Boogaloo' movement, feds say
Federal law enforcement officers say they seized 11 guns, a silencer, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, body armor plates and several pounds of a binary explosive from a Springfield man with ties to the Boogaloo extremist anti-government group.
Timothy Zegar, 39, was charged last week with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Federal prosecutors allege that Zegar had been trafficking guns even though he was not legally allowed to possess them based on his prior felony conviction from a 2014 high speed chase in Wisconsin.
At a hearing on Monday, federal prosecutors argued Zegar is a danger to society and should be held in jail as his firearm case moves forward.
Among the government's evidence were Zegar's ties to the Boogaloo movement, which the Anti-Defamation League calls an extremist movement whose ideology is "primarily anti-government, anti-authority and anti-police in nature." Other adherents to the movement are awaiting trial across the country for a litany of violent acts, including murder.
Prosecutors say that in 2020, Zegar posted in a Boogaloo Facebook group that the “[e]nd game is capturing the senate and house and publicly executing them” and that he was willing to be “a martyr for the cause.”
At a hearing on Tuesday, the FBI agent handling Zegar's case testified that he was not aware of Zegar taking any concrete steps toward that stated goal.
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In this case, Zegar is accused of selling a Spike's Tactical, model STI5, .556 caliber rifle to an undercover ATF agent after communicating with the undercover agent online for several weeks.
On Feb. 1, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Zegar's home just north of the Springfield city limits and recovered the guns, ammo and explosives materials, according to court documents.
At Tuesday's hearing, Zegar's attorney Steven Berry argued that Zegar should be allowed to stay out of jail as his case moves forward. Berry said that Zegar is gainfully employed, has no convictions since 2016, has family support and wants to be around to help support his daughter.
Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge David Rush ultimately ruled that Zegar should be detained in jail while his case moves forward. Rush said the alleged Boogaloo ties were "obviously concerning" but his decision was more based on the multiple instances in Zegar's past of driving while intoxicated, resisting arrest and bond jumping.
"You're a danger to the community," Rush said.
Rush also found there was probable cause to move the case forward to go before a grand jury.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Feds say Springfield man tied to Boogaloo movement trafficked guns
