After pleading guilty to federal gun and drug charges, a Coast Guard lieutenant was recently sentenced to 13 years in prison. The self-proclaimed white nationalist also wrote a manifesto describing his intentions to murder several journalists and prominent Democrats, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Between March 2016 and February 2019, Coast Guard Lt. Christopher Hasson used various email accounts to purchase Tramadol, which is an opioid, from illegal internet-based distributors. Lt. Hasson ordered at least 4,650 Tramadol pills and personally took the pills, usually daily, including while he was at work.
At the time of Hasson’s arrest on February 15, 2019, agents recovered 196 Tramadol pills from his backpack. Search warrants executed the same day recovered 106 Tramadol pills from Hasson’s desk at Coast Guard Headquarters and 122 Tramadol pills from his residence.
After searching Hasson’s residence, law enforcement also recovered 15 firearms, including seven rifles, two shotguns, four pistols, two revolvers, an assembled firearm silencer, and a disassembled firearm silencer. In close proximity to the guns, agents found multiple magazines that could accept more than 15 rounds of ammunition, as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
According to Hasson’s computer, he had created a list of targets, including 13 members of Congress and six journalists. Some of Hasson’s targets included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Joe Scarborough and Chris Hayes of MSNBC, as well as Chris Cuomo, Don Lemon, and Van Jones of CNN.
Investigators also found documents at Hasson’s apartment in which he described himself as being a white nationalist for more than 30 years. The FBI said he drafted a letter to a neo-Nazi leader, advocating “focused violence” to establish a white homeland.
“There is little if any doubt he was planning a mass casualty assault to further his white nationalist views,” stated U.S. District Court Judge George Hazel. But Hazel said Hasson “is not being sentenced for his views. He’s been sentenced for the actions he was planning.”
In October 2019, Hasson pleaded guilty to four federal charges, including unlawful possession of unregistered silencers, unlawful possession of firearm silencers unidentified by serial number, possession of firearms by an addict to and unlawful user of a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance. On Friday, he was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison.
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