A Kootenai County jury delivered guilty verdicts on Thursday against five members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front. These individuals were convicted of misdemeanor conspiracy to riot charges stemming from their planned disruption of a Pride event in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
The convicted members are Forrest Rankin, Devin Center, Derek Smith, James Michael Johnson, and Robert Whitted. The jury reached its decision after approximately one hour of deliberation. Sentencing is scheduled for Friday.
The charges originate from an incident on June 11, 2022, when 31 Patriot Front members were apprehended by police. A witness had reported observing a group loading into a U-Haul van, describing them as resembling "a small army." The group was stopped near the location of the North Idaho Pride Alliance's Pride in the Park event. Among the items discovered inside the van were riot gear, shields, shin guards, and a smoke grenade.
The image above identifies the convicted individuals: (top row, from left) James Michael Johnson, Forrest Rankin, and Robert Whitted; (bottom row, from left) Devin Center and Derek Smith. (Photo credit: Kootenai County Sheriffs Office, via AP, File)
Documents seized from the group detailed a plan to form a column outside City Park and march inward until encountering obstacles. The objective was to create a confrontational situation before withdrawing and proceeding down Sherman Avenue. The individuals arrested hailed from at least 11 states, including Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Colorado, South Dakota, Illinois, Wyoming, Virginia, and Arkansas.
In Idaho, rioting is typically classified as a misdemeanor. Conspiracy to riot carries a potential penalty of up to one year in jail, a $5,000 fine, and a maximum of two years of probation.
