Among dozens of members of a white supremacist group arrested June 11 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho was a man with ties to Concrete in Skagit County.
Coeur d’Alene police discovered James Julius Johnson, 36, and 30 other members of Patriot Front in the back of a U-Haul van, wearing riot gear and heading to an LGBTQ+ pride event in the city. All 31 were charged with conspiracy to riot, a misdemeanor, and later released on bail, the Associated Press reported. Police also found an “operations plan” outlining the thwarted confrontation at the pride event, a separate AP report said.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said Johnson was from Concrete, according to North Idaho News, a citizen-run Facebook page. The Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for confirmation of Johnson’s residence.
State voting records and the anti-fascist website wanaziwatch.com indicate Johnson lived in Seattle as recently as late 2021. A Skagit County sheriff’s spokesperson said the agency had no record of contacting Johnson.
Johnson and the 30 others are scheduled for arraignment before a Kootenai County judge on July 18.
