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Ford Fischer Profile picture
@FordFischer
Apr 12, 2024 • 19 tweets • 14 min read • Read on X
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BREAKING THREAD: On April 11, Russell Vane IV - the subject of my reporting who allegedly attempted to provoke a Virginia militia group into producing explosives - was arrested.

He is charged with "Attempted production of a biological agent or toxin."


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2) According to the criminal complaint, the FBI received multiple tips after I published the story about Vane - who went by Duke - on April 1.

He apparently tried to legally change his name on April 3, the same day a false obituary of him appeared.

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3) The feds cite my reporting, where I show unclassified government documents that the Virginia Kekoas militia members were allegedly handed by Duke, and he later appears to acknowledge giving them.






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4) The FBI says they learned "In coordination with one government agency" that Duke had printed off the documents on February 12 "Based on government records."

This appears to imply Vane has a job at the "government agency" or at least he has work access to government files. Image
5) The documents were allegedly printed as early as February 12 before being given to the militia on March 9.

A big mystery: Why, on February 27, did Duke appear to claim someone else had been arrested for doing the same?


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6) So, apparently, feds raided Russell Richardson Vane IV aka Duke's house, where they allegedly found evidence that he was extracting ricin, a toxic poison, and arrested him.

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7) Vane is currently in federal custody and faces a detention hearing on Monday.

As I previously reported, he is definitely not dead, as claimed by an obituary and someone on his phone talking to @HannahAllam.




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8) To reiterate: According to this federal criminal complaint, Vane printed documents about explosives from "his work computer" and walked out of "a secure government facility" with them and handed them to a militia group.

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9) While I'm not aware of any elements of the story taking place in Washington DC itself, it appears this arrest was conducted by a Joint Terrorism Task Force out of the Washington DC (not Virginia) field office. Image
10) Side note: Duke has an account on Airbnb, where he lists five places for rent.

"Lives in Vienna, VA"

"I'm obsessed with: Chemistry"

"Ask Duke about Shooting sports"

"My biography title: Read This Vainglorious Thing"

airbnb.com/users/show/125…Image
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11) I need to reiterate: My story came out April 1.

On April 3, an obituary for Russell Vane IV appeared online.

That same day, Vane walked into a courthouse alive and allegedly attempted to legally change his name.

12) At the moment, which "government facility" Russell Vane IV worked at is unclear, but here's the federal connections I can point out for him and his father (Russell Vane III):

-He was once a Marine Intel Specialist ()

-He then worked at Booz Allen Hamilton, a military/government/intelligence contractor. ()

-He allegedly told the militia he worked for the CIA ()

-He later insinuated to the group that he worked at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) or United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (NGIF)

-He provided the group documents marked as coming from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and NGA

-His father Russell "Russ" Vane III worked as a Data Scientist for geospatial intelligence company OGSystems () and his Facebook says "Worked at DHS" (Department of Homeland Security) ()

-Vane IV has now been arrested by the FBI.





facebook.com/russ.vaneImage
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"A whole lot of houses burning and going kaboom. I wonder if some subversive force has released some literature and is encouraging these explosions?"

-Duke allegedly weeks after leaving his job at a secure government facility with bomb making documents.

These words were allegedly spoken by Duke less than a month after allegedly walking out of a “secure government facility” per the federal affidavit with explosives-related documents printed from his work computer.
15) I missed one federal agency Duke has apparently been affiliated with: Russell R Vane IV is listed as staff at the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) in their 2007 publication Survey of Current Business.

google.com/books/edition/…Image
16) Ironically, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), Vane/Duke's employer in 2007, moved to the Suitland Federal Center in 2016.

This is the same facility Vane pled guilty to bringing guns into for a job interview in 2010.



bizjournals.com/washington/bre…
17) NEW: A LinkedIn profile appearing to portray Russell Vane IV exists online titled "Russell V" allegedly with a TS/SCI clearance.

This profile says he has worked at Deloitte since 2015, where he has "Briefed multiple intelligence agencies."

linkedin.com/in/russell-v-3…



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18) The Linkedin says Vane/Duke previously worked at OGSystems (the same workplace as his father at the time ) and Booz Allen Hamilton ().

Both of these are consistent with my and @HannahAllam's prior reporting.

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@HannahAllam 19) The LinkedIn also describes him performing "Classified Intelligence Analyst Work" with the Marine Corps at Quantico (consistent with ) and Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) (consistent with my reporting as well ).

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More from @FordFischer

Ford Fischer Profile picture
Jan 17
VIDEO THREAD: Pardoned January 6er Jake Lang attempted to hold an anti-Muslim "Crusader March" in Minneapolis today where he was swarmed with hundreds of counter-protesters.

Scuffles broke out, and one of his members sprayed mace around the crowd.
2) Amidst "Feels like -7 F" degree temperatures, protesters sprayed Lang and his crew with water guns as well as silly string while drowning him out with music over a loudspeaker.

Lang apparently was prepared to leave, but couldn't find a path as protesters continued to physically challenge him and his group.

"Let them leave!" some protesters yelled.
3) Lang, who fought police with a baseball bat at the Capitol on January 6, was struck with a wooden stick by a counter-protester.

He grabbed it, briefly holding it up in triumph and keeping control of it until it was grabbed out of his hands.
Read 7 tweets
Ford Fischer Profile picture
Jan 15
VIDEO THREAD: Federal agents deployed tear gas, mace, and sting balls against a growing crowd at the scene Wednesday night in Minneapolis following a shooting by ICE.

Some protesters shot fireworks and threw snowballs at the agents, many of whom carried rifles.
2) Agents moved fast while trying to evade the crowd. In one case, the feds got into the bed of a truck, dropped pepper spray and had to get out to grab it before a firework was thrown at them, for which they threw tear gas in return.
3) The scale of the conflict was enormous, spanning a few blocks in each direction from the shooting, lasting a couple hours.

Protesters exchanged fireworks and tear gas on one side of the shooting scene as others engaged with police on the opposite side.
Read 7 tweets
Ford Fischer Profile picture
Jan 4
VIDEO THREAD: Pardoned January 6er Jake Lang held a "Crusader" rally outside AIPAC Sunday afternoon, throwing (chocolate) gold coins at attendees dressed as politicians and suggesting "their Jewish money" has caused a "brownification of America."

A couple counter-protesters including former elected official Patricia Eugenio demonstrated against Lang and his group.

FOOTAGE FOR DOCUMENTARY, NEWS PURPOSES ONLY.
2) Ivan Raiklin, an advocate for the January 6er's, confronted Lang at the podium.

While maintaining a cordial tone, he said Lang has "got it all wrong" by focusing on immutable attributes rather than "deep state traitors" "based on their actions, and actions alone."
3) Lang and Raiklin jokingly wrestled for the mic before Raiklin suggested that "You're about a block away from your employer, right? FBI Washington Field office?"

"Says the guy who never got indicted for January 6!" Lang replied.

"I'm that good!" Raiklin replied. "I run feds."
Read 15 tweets
Ford Fischer Profile picture
Dec 15, 2025
DOCUMENT THREAD: Four members of the pro-Palestine, left-wing "Turtle Island Liberation Front" have been arrested in an alleged bomb plot after being exposed to at least one FBI Confidential Human Source (CHS) and one Undercover Employee (UCE). Image
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2) The FBI begins their summary of probable cause by saying that their PAID informant (CHS) "has been a reliable source of information since in or around August 2021."

They say the informant was given a handwritten bomb plot titled "OPERATION MIDNIGHT SUN” in November by defendants, but do not detail any conservations that led up to this occurring.

They do not describe how long the group had been exposed to this CHS prior to their alleged escalation into bomb plotting.Image
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3) The group allegedly planned on extensive steps to conceal their participation in the plan, including encasing their phones in bricks before submerging them into water, and using black bloc clothing, which they wrote down and handed to a federal informant in an 8-page document. Image
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Read 8 tweets
Ford Fischer Profile picture
Dec 4, 2025
The criminal complaint against Brian Cole Jr has been released, detailing the government’s evidence that this Virginia man is the January 5, 2021 pipe bomber.

The evidence basically amounts to three categories:

-Cell phone pings allegedly placing him at the scene

-Purchases over the prior more than a year of materials consistent with the devices

-A vehicle allegedly matching his leaving the area on that night

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…
Notably, while government sources have reportedly characterized Cole as “anarchist,” this criminal complaint does not characterize any evidence related to ideological background or motive.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…
I also find it notable that the FBI places some of the relevant purchases which they allege were components for the pipe bombs as early as 2019.

While some components were purchased in November 2020 (post election) this timeline would seem to imply he was working on such a device *prior* to the 2020 election being disputed.Image
Read 4 tweets
Ford Fischer Profile picture
Nov 19, 2025
Following a "March Against Islamization" in Dearborn, Michigan, pardoned J6er Jake Lang spoke to the city council telling Muslim members "You guys are outbreeding, insidious parasites."

"You will never look like us," he said. "Get the f*** out. America First."

He was ushered out by police as his supporters yelled "Christ is king!"
2) Fighting broke out and mace was deployed on the streets of Dearborn Tuesday afternoon as Jake Lang walked around slapping a pack of bacon into a Quran, which counter-protesters took out of his hands.

"Michigan needs to be cleared out of Muslims!" Lang told the media.
3) Lang attempted to set fire to a Quran, but protesters pulled it away from him before he could light it up. One pointed mace into his face and appeared to trigger it, but it apparently jammed.

Lang accused responding police officers of being "here to enforce Sharia Law."
Read 14 tweets

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