Court Case

United States v. Solomon, Michael, et al.

September 2020 (Updated June 9, 2022)
Minneapolis, MN
Hamas

Michael Robert Solomon and Benjamin Ryan Teeter were charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to Hamas. In late May of 2020, the FBI initiated an investigation into Solomon and Teeter, two members of the "Boogaloo Bois," and a sub-group called the "Boojahideen." During the civil unrest in the Twin Cities following the death of George Floyd, according to a witness, Solomon was openly carrying firearms in a residential neighborhood in Minneapolis. Solomon and Teeter interacted with the witness over the course of several days. The FBI received information about Solomon, Teeter, and other members of the Boogaloo Bois and the Boojahideen through a confidential human source ("CHS"), whom the defendants believed to be a member of Hamas. Solomon and Teeter also expressed their desire to employ themselves as "mercenaries" for Hamas as a means to generate cash for the Boogaloo Bois/Boojahideen movement, including funding for recruitment and purchasing land for a training compound. They shared their ideas about destroying government monuments, raiding the headquarters of a white supremacist organization in North Carolina, and targeting politicians and members of the media, and expressed their ability to manufacture unmarked parts for guns and create unregistered and untraceable weapons, including suppressors.

Case Updates

2022-06-09 | Second "Boogaloo Bois" Member Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Hamas

Benjamin Ryan Teeter was sentenced in June 2022 to 48 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to provide material support and resources to Hamas for use against Israeli and U.S. military personnel overseas. In late May of 2020, the FBI initiated an investigation into Teeter and co-defendant Michael Robert Solomon, 32, two members of the "Boogaloo Bois," and a sub-group called the "Boojahideen." The Boogaloo Bois are a group of individuals who espouse violent anti-government sentiments.

2021-05-04 | Second Member Of "Boogaloo Bois" Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to Hamas

Michael Solomon pleaded guilty in May 2021 to conspiracy to provide material support and resources, namely property, services and weapons, to what he believed was Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization, for use against Israeli and U.S. military personnel overseas. Michael Solomon of New Brighton, Minn., was a member of the "Boogaloo Bois," a group of individuals who espouse violent anti-government sentiments. In late May 2020, the FBI initiated an investigation into Solomon and co-defendant Benjamin Ryan Teeter, both members of the "Boogaloo Bois," and a sub-group called the "Boojahideen." According to court documents, on June 10, 2020, Solomon and Teeter met with a confidential human source (CHS), whom the defendants believed to be a member of Hamas. During this meeting, Solomon and Teeter proposed assisting Hamas as a means of furthering the goals of the Boogaloo Bois. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Solomon used encrypted messaging applications to communicate with Teeter and the CHS about various aspects of the conspiracy. Solomon pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

2020-12-16 | Member Of "Boogaloo Bois" Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Provide Material Support To Hamas

Benjamin Ryan Teeter pleaded guilty in December 2020 to conspiracy to provide material support and resources, namely property, services and weapons, to Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization. According to Teeter's guilty plea and documents filed with the court, in early June, the FBI received information about Teeter, Solomon, and other members of the Boogaloo Bois and the Boojahideen through a confidential human source ("CHS"), whom the defendants believed to be a member of Hamas. In audio-recorded conversations, Teeter and Solomon expressed that Hamas shares anti-U.S. government views that align with their own views. Teeter and Solomon also expressed their desire to employ themselves as "mercenaries" for Hamas to generate cash for the Boogaloo Bois/Boojahideen movement, including funding for recruitment and purchasing land for a training compound. Teeter admitted in his guilty plea that he knew Hamas was a designated foreign terrorist organization, and that the organization had engaged and was engaging in terrorist activity or terrorism.

Case Documents