California man indicted in White House UFC plot investigation
Christopher M. Perry, 38, of Rocklin, California, was indicted Thursday, August 27, on federal charges of being a felon in possession of firearms and destroying records in a federal investigation, prosecutors said.
The Eastern District of California announced the indictment Friday, August 28. Prosecutors say Perry was connected to a Signal chat devoted to planning attacks against federal property and officials, including the June 14 UFC Freedom 250 event held on the White House South Lawn.
Perry’s case is separate from the federal prosecution of eight other defendants in Ohio. The new California indictment charges Perry with firearm possession and alleged destruction of digital records; it does not charge him with the terrorism and murder-conspiracy counts brought against the Ohio defendants.
What prosecutors allege about Perry’s Signal activity
According to the indictment and the Justice Department, Perry participated in a Signal group that prosecutors say discussed attacks against federal property and officials. Those discussions allegedly included the UFC event at the White House on June 14, 2026.
Prosecutors also allege that Perry discussed possible attacks in California involving artificial-intelligence data centers, satellite communication facilities and a California-based technology company. Those claims remain allegations and have not been tested at trial.
The broader investigation became public after the FBI and law-enforcement partners identified a potential threat on June 10, according to the Justice Department. Authorities arrested several people before the June 14 event and later described an alleged plan involving drones and snipers. The Associated Press reported that investigators had not established how close that alleged plan came to execution.
The alleged effort to delete digital evidence
The second count concerns what prosecutors say Perry did after law enforcement contacted him at his home on June 12 about his Signal account.
Investigators allege that Perry removed himself from the Signal group, deleted his Signal account, removed the Signal application from his phone and deleted associated data. Prosecutors characterize those actions as an attempt to destroy records relevant to a federal investigation.
Whether the government can prove that charge will be decided through the federal court process. The indictment itself contains allegations, not findings of guilt.
What the FBI recovered
FBI agents later executed several search warrants and recovered multiple firearms that prosecutors say Perry owned, along with more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition, the Eastern District of California said.
The Justice Department also said one ammunition container was marked “WWIII,” and that investigators found photographs and videos of firearms, including images of Perry holding firearms, on his phone. The announcement does not establish that the recovered weapons or ammunition were intended for the White House event.
How Perry’s case fits the larger investigation
On July 9, a federal grand jury in Ohio returned a consolidated indictment against eight other defendants. Prosecutors allege those defendants conspired to provide material support to terrorists and to commit murder on federal government territory and against a federal official in connection with the UFC event.
The Ohio case is distinct from Perry’s California prosecution. The Associated Press reported that two defendants in the Ohio case pleaded not guilty and that the consolidated case had a September 14 trial setting. Those proceedings do not determine the outcome of Perry’s charges.
What happens next
Perry remains in federal custody and is scheduled for arraignment Monday, August 31, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sean C. Riordan.
An arraignment is a procedural court appearance. It is not a hearing that determines whether a defendant is guilty. The next item to watch is how the court formally addresses Perry’s charges, his response and the case’s subsequent schedule.
Perry is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The allegations in the indictment remain unresolved.
Sources
- Eastern District of California DOJ indictment announcement
- Associated Press reporting on the broader White House UFC investigation
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