The federal criminal case tied to the alleged attack plot surrounding the UFC Freedom 250 event on June 14 has entered its next phase. After the FBI thwarted the terror plot days before the event at the White House South Lawn, the authorities arrested eight men in connection with the plot.

However, according to a report from the Associated Press, during a recent hearing in U.S. District Court in Ohio, two of the defendants charged in the case, Tycen C. Proper and Chandler Scaggs, pleaded not guilty to the federal charges against them.

Two of the eight suspects, Tycen C. Proper of Danville, Ohio, and Chandler Scaggs of Chapmanville, West Virginia, arrived at the U.S. District Court in Ohio wearing jail garb and shackles. Judge Edmund Sargus Jr. oversaw the proceedings and reportedly scheduled their trial for September 14. Both, along with the other six suspects, were charged with conspiracy to commit m–der and providing material support to t——sts.

As of now, it’s not totally clear on what basis both pleaded not guilty. But following the indictment on July 9, two of the accused’s lawyers shared their statements. Tycen C. Proper’s attorney, Joseph Patituce, also stated that the 19-year-old is currently waiting for the government to review his case and also said Proper is protected by the “presumption of innocence.”

“Mr. Proper is a young 19-year-old man who, despite that youth, recognizes how serious these allegations are,” Patituce said. “It is important for the public to remember that an indictment is simply the vehicle by which the government puts a citizen on notice of criminal charges and that Mr. Proper is protected by the presumption of innocence that is enshrined in our Constitution.”

Following that, Chandler Scaggs’ attorney, Eric Brehm, stated that his office is currently reviewing the case. However, Brehm appears to be confident that there is a “significant disconnection” between what has been alleged and his client. In fact, he also blamed the 21-year-old Scaggs’ “naivety, lack of sophistication, and judgment” for getting associated with the terror plot.

Now, it’s to be noted that the actual conspiracy behind the supposed UFC White House attack was reportedly uncovered on June 10 after Tycen Proper’s mother contacted local authorities after growing suspicious of her son’s $3,000 shopping spree involving firearms, ammunition, and other equipment. She also reportedly overheard Tycen speaking about going on “hit-and-run” missions over the phone, which left her concerned, prompting her to reach out to local authorities.

Other than Proper and Scaggs, the six other accused are also associated with the UFC White House attack plot. They are: Daniel K. Eskridge, William L.S. Falkner, Jordan W. Rincker, Bryan O. Roa, Michael A. Thomas, and Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, whom authorities identified as the alleged ringleader behind the plot. Though eight were arrested, investigators initially looked into 19 to 23 individuals who reportedly took part in Signal chats discussing how they would carry out the terror plot, including conversations about logistics and drone deployment.

Although two of the eight arrested have pleaded not guilty, it will be interesting to see how the further proceedings unfold. Amid that, another attorney shared how close the alleged attackers came to actually making the mission successful.

U.S. Attorney says the conspirators came close to disrupting “something” in Washington, D.C.

Following the UFC’s ambitious MMA event at the White House, FBI Director Kash Patel announced on social media that the bureau had successfully thwarted an attack plot. As per reports, the plot involved explosive-laden drones and snipers, and hoped to target high-profile figures such as U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Elon Musk, though many of them did not attend the UFC Freedom 250 event.

Though the true extent of how far the group reached in terms of their planning is not entirely clear so far, U.S. Attorney Dominick Gerace II revealed during the July 9 indictments that the accused planned to cause some ruckus during that time and came really close to it. But he also thanked God that nothing unfortunate happened.

“What would have happened or could have happened, that’s never going to be clear, because, thank God, there was an intervention here and this thing was disrupted,” the attorney said. “But, in my view, when I look at what’s been alleged there, it seems pretty likely that someone or multiple people were driving to Washington, D.C., to do something.”

Attorney Dominick Gerace II didn’t reveal much despite saying the accused came close to fulfilling what they intended. But with the trial set to take place in September, more details surrounding the suspected UFC White House attack are expected in due time.