Alleged ‘boogaloo’ member denies threatening law enforcement

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio man who federal officials said is a member of the far-right anti-government group the “boogaloo boys” has pleaded not guilty to charges that he threatened law enforcement and unlawfully possessed a machine gun.

Aron McKillips, 29, of Sandusky, entered his pleas Tuesday during a court hearing in Toledo. The charges he faces were included in an indictment that was handed up last week by a federal grand jury.

McKillips and another alleged group member were both arrested last November, when authorities were increasingly concerned about the potential for violence in the leadup to the midterm elections.

The “boogaloo” movement is embraced by a loose network of gun enthusiasts and extremists. The group started in alt-right culture on the internet with the belief that there is an impending U.S. civil war.

The FBI has alleged that McKillips made at least five online threats to harm and/or kill law enforcement members between September 2021 and July 2022, including one to kill a police officer and another to kill anyone he determined to be a federal informant.

The indictment also alleged that McKillips unlawfully possessed a drop-in auto sear that could convert an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle into a fully automatic machine gun.

McKillips’ lawyer, Neil McElroy, was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday.