‘Boogaloo Bois’ Tri-Cities extremist accused of making explosives to target police

A Western Washington man pleaded guilty Thursday to supplying fireworks to a Kennewick man to make explosive devices to target police officers.

Connor Duane Goodman, of Auburn, Wash., pleaded guilty in federal court in Richland to conspiracy to make or possess an unregistered destructive device.

Daniel James Anderson of Kennewick has a trial scheduled in federal court in April on the same charge, plus possession of an unregistered destructive device that he is accused of making.

A FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force Office began working with a confidential informant in spring 2021 to build the cases against Anderson and Goodman.

Both men adhere to “Boogaloo Bois” beliefs, according to court documents.

Boogaloo Bois is a loosely connected group of people who share anti-government and anti-authority sentiment and advocate violence.

Some extremists have used the term “Boogaloo” to refer to an upcoming politically motivated uprising against the government because of perceived threats to Constitutional rights — including the Second Amendment — or other perceived government overreach, according to a court document.

Goodman ran a social media chatroom called “Verified Bois” with 30 members of self-dubbed “anarcho-capitalist extremists.”

Its participants were waiting for an over-aggressive law enforcement action, such as at a public protest, to target officers with violence, according to a court document.

Anderson participated in Goodman’s chatroom and attended some of the events it organized, according to a court document.

The group held training events, including in Ellensburg and Easton, Wash., to practice raids, firearms handling and survival skills.

When Kennewick police were called to an apartment neighboring Anderson’s in April 2021 to prevent a possible suicide, Anderson armed himself and put on body armor in case police tried to enter his apartment, according to court reports.

The confidential informant said Anderson had illegally modified an AR-style pistol to create a short-barreled rifle.

On social media Anderson discussed ways to steal explosive materials from another member’s employer and how to bypass security at Sportsman’s Warehouse.

Anderson told the confidential informant the Verified Bois participants were “getting serious” and done “messing around.”

He said that too many members of Verified Bois were not taking training seriously enough and they did not understand the group was “training to kill people right now,” according to court documents.

Kennewick man makes explosives

In July 2021, Anderson received Thundercracker fireworks that Goodman had obtained from a tribal reservation.

Anderson then made and tested explosive devices, although only two of the three he tested worked as planned, he told the confidential informant, according to court documents.

Anderson said he designed the devices to be small, so that he could carry them in a backpack while on a motorcycle, according to court documents.

“Anderson said this was important so he could deploy his explosive devices against law enforcement and escape from the scene easily and with speed,” according to a court document.

Anderson posted on social media that the explosive devices were for “distraction,” before also posting that they “aren’t training tools. I wouldn’t be anywhere near this thing. It’s going to throw shrapnel like a MF.”

He showed the confidential informant one device, a sealed glass jar designed to explode and project glass fragments and shotgun pellets, and the informant was able to capture video of it, according to a court document.

In December 2021, Goodman sold the confidential informant 12 mortar-style fireworks, and Anderson showed him how to extract material from them to make improvised explosive devices, according to a court document.

Thirteen days later federal law enforcement agents searched Anderson’s apartment and found an improvised explosive device, which Anderson said he created using fireworks provided by Goodman, according to a court document.

Anderson told federal agents that he did not intend to use the device against law enforcement.

Goodman’s home also was search and special agents found multiple firearms, including a sawed-off shotgun and a short-barreled rifle.

In Goodman’s plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington agreed to ask Judge Mary Dimke to sentence him to no more than three years and one month in prison.

This story was originally published March 17, 2023 at 5:00 AM.