TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution secured the sentencing of two members of the Traditionalist American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan for conspiracy to commit first degree murder. The Honorable Wesley R. Douglas sentenced David Elliot Moran, 49, and Charles Thomas Newcomb, 45, both to 12 years in prison for plotting to kill a former inmate.
“Florida is a safer state with these Klansmen behind bars,” said Attorney General Bondi. “Hate groups have no place in a civilized society and when members of these organizations plot violence and murder—we will be there to ensure justice is served and our citizens are protected.”
“The members of the North Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force (NFJTTF) combined their exceptional talent, skills and knowledge to work as a cohesive team and successfully disrupt this conspiracy,” said Charles P. Spencer, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “This case would not have been possible without the collaboration of our partnering law enforcement agencies, and we thank them for their dedication to this case.”
“These sentencings mark the conclusion of a successful investigation that stopped a plot to murder a man,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “This case is a classic example of local, state and federal law enforcement partners working together to make our communities safer.”
The two men were arrested in 2015 along with defendant Thomas Jordan Driver, 27, following an investigation by members of the North Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigation, with assistance from additional federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Newcomb, Moran and Driver enlisted an FBI informant to kill a former inmate as retaliation for a fight between the former inmate and Driver. At the time of the murder conspiracy, Driver and Moran worked for the Florida Department of Corrections correctional officers, and Newcomb was a former correctional officer.
In March 2017, Driver pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced to four years in prison.
Attorney General Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution prosecuted these cases. Members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force that participated in the investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation Jacksonville Division, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Florida Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, , Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.
North Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force
KKK Members Convicted in Plot to Murder Former Inmate
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution has secured the conviction of two members of the Traditionalist American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan for conspiracy to commit first degree murder. A Columbia County jury found David Elliot Moran, 49, and Charles Thomas Newcomb, 45, guilty of one count each for plotting to kill a former inmate.
The convicted were arrested in 2015 along with defendant Thomas Jordan Driver, 27, following an investigation by members of the North Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigation, with assistance from additional federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The joint investigation revealed that Newcomb, Moran and Driver enlisted an FBI informant to kill a former inmate as retaliation for a fight between the former inmate and Driver. The murder plot was captured on recorded conversations between the three subjects and the FBI informant.
At the time of the murder conspiracy, Driver and Moran were correctional officers for the Florida Department of Corrections, and Newcomb was a former correctional officer. In March 2017, Driver pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced to four years in prison.
“These Klansmen plotted to murder a black inmate after he was released from prison, but swift action and clever investigative tactics on behalf of investigators foiled their plot and may have saved a life,” said Attorney General Bondi. “We will continue to work daily to ensure the KKK or any other hate-filled organization is unable to inflict violence on the citizens of our great state.”
“This case would not have been possible without the collaboration of our partnering law enforcement agencies,” said Charles P. Spencer, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “We commend the members of the North Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force (NFJTTF) who combined their talents, skills, and knowledge to work as a cohesive team and successfully disrupt this conspiracy.”
“These men had positions of trust, which they violated when they conspired to kill a former inmate, and we worked closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure they are held accountable for their crimes,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.
Attorney General Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution prosecuted the case. Members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force that participated in the investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation Jacksonville Division, Homeland Security Investigations, Florida Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.
