Six members of Patriot Front pleaded not guilty

Quinn Welsch, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
·1 min read

Aug. 23—Six more members of the Patriot Front pleaded not guilty to accusations that they were planning to incite a riot in Coeur d'Alene during the North Idaho Pride in the Park event in June.

Jared M. Boyce, 28, of Springville, Utah; Nathan D. Brenner, 26, of Louisville, Colorado; Colton M. Brown, 23, of Midvale, Utah; Graham J. Whitson, 32, of Haslet, Texas; Mitchell F. Wagner, 25, of Florissant, Missouri; and Robert B. Whitted, 22, of Conroe, Texas: These six are among 31 men who were arrested June 11 with 25 others when North Idaho law enforcement found them in the back of a U-Haul truck equipped with riot gear and a smoke grenade, among other items.

The pride event had been the focus of far-right ire for several weeks before the Patriot Front members were arrested.

Their U-Haul truck was stopped after a concerned citizen reported seeing a "little army" climbing inside at a hotel parking lot. Police stopped the vehicle less than a quarter-mile away from its destination.

Only one of the men arrested, Winston W. Durham, 21, of Genesee, was from North Idaho. A few had ties to Spokane.

So far, 19 of the 31 men arrested on June 11 have appeared in court. At least four more are scheduled to appear in a final arraignment on Monday, Aug. 29, including the group's leader, Thomas R. Rousseau.

Patriot Front is a white nationalist group that specializes in vandalism, racist propaganda and "flash demonstrations" meant to intimidate minorities, according to a report from the Anti-Defamation League.

A trial for the Patriot Front members likely will be held in September, Coeur d'Alene Chief Criminal Deputy City Attorney Wes Sommerton said.