On Monday, September 10th, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that two leaders of the transnational terrorist organization Terrorgram Collective have been charged with inciting hate crimes and violent actions against minority groups, government officials, and critical infrastructure in the United States through the social media platform Telegram.
Dallas Humber, 34, from Elk Grove, California, and Matthew Allison, 37, from Boise, Idaho, were arrested last Friday, September 6th. They are now facing 15 federal charges in the Eastern District of California, including inciting hate crimes, conspiring to murder federal officials, distributing bomb-making instructions, and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.
These charges stem from incidents such as a stabbing outside a mosque in Turkey last month that left five people injured, as well as the arrest of an 18-year-old youth in July for plotting an attack on a power station.
The indictment alleges that the two men operated Telegram channels and chat networks under the name Terrorgram, where they recruited followers and attackers, provided instructions and guidance for committing crimes, and maintained a “high-value” target list for attacks and assassinations.
The list includes federal, state, and local government officials, as well as leaders of private companies and non-governmental organizations, many of whom are targeted due to their race, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
The indictment further states that the defendants produced and disseminated several videos and publications encouraging terrorist crimes, including a 24-minute documentary titled “White Terror,” which glorifies about 105 incidents of white supremacist violence from 1968 to 2021.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a press conference, “Today’s arrests send a clear message: perpetrating hate crimes in the darkest corners of the internet and inciting terror attacks behind screens provide no refuge. The Department of Justice will find you, and we will hold you accountable.”
Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Matthew Olsen, stated that the defendants “conspired to provide material support and incite attacks against federal officials and critical government infrastructure, including federal buildings and energy facilities. Today’s charges demonstrate the Department’s commitment to using all available tools to address the threat of violent extremists and protect the American people’s safety.”
Telegram spokesperson Remi Vaughn mentioned, “Violence incitement is not allowed on the Telegram platform. A few years ago, Telegram deleted channels using variants of the name ‘Terrorgram’ after discovering them. Similar content is promptly removed upon detection.”
Telegram’s founder and CEO Pavel Durov was detained by French authorities last month on charges of allowing the platform to be used for criminal activities. Durov responded to these accusations last week, stating that he should not be the target of charges and pledging to intensify efforts to combat criminal activities on the app.
He emphasized that while Telegram is not a “haven for anarchy,” the growing number of users is causing increasing trouble, making it easier for criminals to abuse their platform.