Two men, including one from mid-Missouri, have been sentenced in federal court for conspiring to murder U.S. Border Patrol officers and the attempted murder of FBI agents.
Jonathan O’Dell, 35, of Warsaw, and Bryan Perry, 39, of Clarksville, Tennessee, co-founded the “2nd American Militia”, a group aimed at recruiting members to join them at the U.S.-Mexico border to shoot and kill undocumented immigrants. In a social media post, Perry threatened to kill any Border Patrol agent who tried to stop them.
In 2022, Perry moved to Missouri to live with O’Dell while they attempted to recruit members and stockpiled firearms, ammunition, and paramilitary gear.
When FBI agents executed a search warrant at O’Dell’s residence in October 2022, Perry opened fire, striking the lead FBI armored vehicle several times. No injuries were reported. After the gunfire stopped, agents secured the area and negotiated with Perry and O’Dell to surrender peacefully.
Inside O’Dell’s home, investigators found:
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6 firearms
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23 loaded magazines
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1,700+ rounds of ammunition
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Body armor and gas masks
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Containers with explosive mixtures
On Wednesday, the court sentenced:
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Jonathan O’Dell → 165 years in federal prison after being found guilty on 32 counts
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Bryan Perry → 15 consecutive life sentences after being convicted on 37 counts
Additionally, both men were ordered to serve five years of supervised release after incarceration and must pay restitution.
