| Aryan Republican Army | |
|---|---|
 Mugshots of the (known) members of the Aryan Republican Army.
Top row, from left to right: Scott Stedeford, Donna Langan,[a] and Mark Thomas Bottom row, from left to right: Michael Brescia, Richard Lee Guthrie Jr., and Kevin McCarthy | |
| Leader | Donna Langan |
| Foundation | 1992 |
| Dates of operation | 1992–1996 |
| Country | United States (Midwest) |
| Motives |
|
| Headquarters | Columbus, Ohio |
| Ideology | |
| Major actions | 22 bank robberies |
| Notable attacks | Alleged involvement in the Oklahoma City Bombing |
| Size | At least 7 |
| Part of a series on |
| Neo-fascism |
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The Aryan Republican Army (ARA), also dubbed "The Midwest Bank bandits" by the FBI and law-enforcement, was a white nationalist terrorist gang[1] which robbed 22 banks in the Midwest from 1994 to 1996. The bank robberies were spearheaded by Donna Langan.[a][2] The gang, who had links to Neo-Nazism and white supremacism, were alleged to have conspired with convicted terrorist Timothy McVeigh in the months before the Oklahoma City bombing terrorist attack.[3][4] Although it has never been proven, many theorists believe the ARA funneled robbery money to help fund the bombing as a direct response to the Waco and Ruby Ridge sieges.[5]
Inspired to rob banks in order to support white supremacist movements by Mark Thomas, the ARA, founded in 1992 by Langan and her best friend from school Richard Lee Guthrie Jr., considered itself a leaderless organization. Although the group was mainly a criminal enterprise, its agenda was terrorist like. After filming and producing right-wing propaganda videos, the group grew and recruited bank robber affiliates: Michael Brescia, Shawn Kenny, Kevin McCarthy, and Scott Stedeford.[1] With the bank heist money, the gang began to stockpile weapons and ammunition in preparation for a future race war. At bank after bank, the bandits became infamous due to the fact that they left their signature decoy grenades and their pipe bombs as calling cards, a strategy which was implemented to help the gang escape and delay the FBI's pursuit.[2] The bandits used a strict time keeper who called out at elapsed intervals and made sure that they were in and out of the heists within 90 seconds. The time keeping, along with the members wearing of presidential masks, were moves which were believed to be lifted directly from the Kathryn Bigelow film Point Break.[2][6] In addition to wearing Nixon, Reagan and Clinton masks, the ARA also wore jackets and hats emblazoned with "FBI," "ATF" or other law-enforcement acronyms.[2]
The FBI was unaware of the existence of the ARA until one of its members was apprehended. In early 1996, the group began to fall apart as its members were arrested after former members of the group became informants as part of a plea bargain. Guthrie was arrested in Cincinnati on January 15, 1996, concluding a 2-hour chase by FBI agents. Soon after, Guthrie gave up his counterpart Langan. Three days later on January 18, 1996, the FBI arrested Langan after a 50-round shoot out near a safe house in Columbus, Ohio.[2][7]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ a b Thomas, Jo (January 9, 1997). "Bank Robbery Trial Offers a Glimpse of a Right-Wing World". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "The Saga of Pretty Boy Pedro". Washington Post. February 13, 1997. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- ^ Evans-Pritchard, Ambrose (December 8, 1996). "America's 'Aryan' hard men take lead from IRA". London Sunday Telegraph. Archived from the original on March 8, 2005. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ^ "FBI tied McVeigh to supremacist plotters". seattlepi.com. February 13, 2003. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- ^ "In All the Speculation and Spin Surrounding the Oklahoma City Bombing, John Doe 2 Becomes a Legend – The Central Figure in Countless Conspiracy Theories That Attempt to Explain an Incomprehensible Horror. Did He Ever Really Exist?". Washington Post. March 23, 1997. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- ^ "Trump likely to undo Obama-era transgender prisoners policy, ending Texas court battle". Dallas News. January 4, 2018. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ "Peter Kevin Langan VS USA" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 29, 2021.