Virginia Assistant Principal and His Brother Arrested Accused of Threatening to Kill ICE Agents | Crime Alert 3PM 11.28.25

Federal investigations into John Wilson Bennett and Mark Booth Bennett began on November 17, following an off-duty police officer in Norfolk, Virginia, who reportedly heard them planning to "kill police officers and ICE agents.”

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alart hourly update breaking crime news Now. I'm Nicole Parton.
Authorities alleged that a Virginia assistant principal and his brother
were recently overheard discussing plans to harm immigration officers, though
their legal representatives dispute the validity of these claims. Federal
investigations into John Wilson Bennett and Mark Booth Bennett began

(00:23):
on November seventeen, following an off duty police officer in Norfolk, Virginia,
who reportedly heard them planning to quote kill police officers
and ICE agents, according to a statement from the Department
of Homeland Security. Allegedly, Mark Bennett also expressed intentions to
meet with quote like minded people in Las Vegas to

(00:45):
purchase firearms, including ammunition designed for explosive impact, to execute
their plans. On November nineteen, Mark Bennett was arrested at
Norfolk International Airport, where he was preparing to travel to
Las Vegas with a lot over in Charlotte, North Carolina.
His brother, John, who serves as the assistant principal at

(01:06):
Kempsville High School, was arrested the same day in Virginia Beach.
It is alarming that someone, especially an educator would consider
plotting to kill and attack law enforcement officers and ICE
agents discussing how to acquire high caliber rifle capable of
penetrating bullet proof vests, remarked Assistant Secretary Trisha mcglothin with DHS.

(01:29):
Both brothers are facing charges of conspiracy to commit malicious wounding.
It remains unclear whether they have entered a plea. Their
defense team has contended that the conversations were hearsay and
that both brothers do not pose a threat to the community,
As reported by the Associated Press, Their attorneys also claimed
that Mark was traveling to Vegas to attend a Formula

(01:53):
one race, not to acquire weapons. The brothers have been
placed under house arrest until their pre trial or prime
and Justice News after this. Federal prosecutors in Rhode Island
are pushing for the imprisonment of a man who has

(02:13):
previously been charged with making threats to assassinate President Donald
Trump and other prominent officials within the administration are arguing
that he remains a threat to both the community and
his intended targets. Assistant US Attorney deLuce Donovan has requested
a federal judge to issue an arrest warrant for Carl Montagu,

(02:36):
asserting that the thirty seven year old man was reportedly
breaching the conditions of his pre trial release. Montagu was
first taken into custody on July ninth, facing charges of
threatening the President, making interstate threats, and attempting to obstruct
the US officials in their duties. As previously reported, the
man allegedly declared it on social media on a post

(02:57):
on June twenty seven, that and to kill President Trump,
Attorney General Pound Bondi, and White House Deputy Chief of
Staff Stephen Miller. The threatening message, posted on the President's
Truth social platform under the username Tacoustic, reportedly said, it's
a shame you won't get to see the end of
your f term because I'm going to make sure I

(03:20):
put a bullet blank between your blank head, you piece
of blank and you Pound Bondi, Stephen Miller. All of this,
You're going to get a in your head, every single
one of you. Authorities trace the username to Gmail, an
account in Providence, Rhode Island. After submitting an emergency disclosure

(03:41):
request to Google, the company provided the Secret Service with
the relevant IP address. Following further investigations, agents identified montagu
as the resource of the threats. Federal agents later discovered
him hiding in a bathtub in his apartment. The man
began to confess to making threats before a could even
introduce themselves or explain their presence. Investigators stated in an affidavit,

(04:05):
he mentioned that he had been smoking a lot of
marijuana when he posted the threats and claimed to have
deleted his truth social media afterwards. He also expressed his
discontent with the current political state of the United States
and was merely voicing his concerns. He did not have
a specific grievance against mister Miller or Attorney General Bondie.

(04:27):
He simply encountered their names in their threads and decided
to post about them too. The man made his first
court appearance on July nine, and was released on a
ten thousand dollars unsecured bond. As part of his release conditions,
a judge mandated that he wear a GPS tracking device
and remain at his home from eight pm to seven am. Additionally,

(04:48):
he was ordered not to consume alcohol and to seek
active employment. In a court filing dated November twenty five,
prosecutors claim he violated his pre trial release condition on
four occasions by consuming alcohol and failed to comply with
the requirement to seek employment. Moreover, on November twenty one,
he allegedly contacted the location monitoring line after hours, admitted

(05:13):
to drinking, and stated that he intended to harm himself. Notably,
during the call, he directed vulgar language at the US
President and the US probation officer and the staff member
whom he was speaking to and now to Tennessee. James Sutton,
age eighty one, was last seen on November twenty six,
twenty twenty five, leaving Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga. A Tennessee

(05:37):
Silver alert has been issued. His family members posted the
following my father James Sutton aka mister Jimmy from Wheeler Holmes.
He's eighty one. He's missing. He was last seen on Wednesday,
November twenty six, leaving Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He
has dementia and recently suffered a stroke, so he may

(05:58):
be confused, dis oriented, or unable to communicate. We believe
he may have gotten on a bus or walked away
from the hospital area. As of today, he has not
been found. His last known location was Erlinger Hospital around
twelve forty five pm on Wednesday. It is unknown what
he was wearing. He does have dementia. Anyone who sees

(06:21):
him or who may have relevant information is asked to
contact police immediately at four two three six nine eight
two five two five. Anyone who may have seen him
or who has relevant information is asked to contact the
Chattanooga Police Department at four two three six ninety eight
two five two five. Mister Jimmy is described as a

(06:43):
black mail with gray hair. For the latest crime Injustice news,
follow Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcasting app
with this crime Alert. I'm Nicole Parton