'Blue Lives Matter' Supporters Arrested With Cache Of Guns: FBI

KENOSHA, WI — Federal officials say two men from Missouri have been arrested and charged after they were discovered traveling with a cache of assault-style weapons at a hotel in Pleasant Prairie on Tuesday, the same day President Donald Trump traveled to Kenosha.

Federal officials say Michael M. Karmo, 40, and Cody E. Smith, 33, of Missouri have been charged with illegal possession of firearms after being arrested Tuesday.

Smith told authorities that he and Karmo headed to Kenosha from Missouri for unspecified activities related to Trump's appearance in Kenosha. Karmo said the two worked together, and are part of the 417 Second Amendment Militia of Missouri, according to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. Eastern District Court of Wisconsin.

FBI agents say they tracked down Karmo and Smith at the hotel in Pleasant Prairie after receiving a tip from Kenosha police, according to the complaint.

Authorities said they searched Karmo and Smith’s vehicle and hotel room, and found an Armory AR-15 assault rifle, a Mossberg 500 AB 12-gauge shotgun, two handguns, a silencer, ammunition, body armor, a drone, and other materials.

Smith told authorities they attended the rally for President Trump outside Bradford High School in Kenosha on Sep. 1, and wanted to see "proof of the rioting," the complaint stated.

Smith said both the pistols he brought downtown were locked in the glove compartment of Karmo's vehicle while they were at the rally, the complaint stated. Authorities said Smith admitted they brought the guns "because they did not want to leave them unattended in the hotel room."

According to the complaint, Karmo has prior felony convictions and Smith has a prior misdemeanor domestic battery conviction. As a term of their sentences, both Karmo and Smith were banned from possessing firearms and ammunition, authorities said.

Several images of Karmo and Smith were submitted as evidence in the criminal complaint documents, which can be viewed here. According to Karmo's criminal complaint, several photos taken from a social media account shows him posing with a gun in front of a Blue Lives Matter flag. A second photo shows at least one weapon in front of a similar flag.

In another photo submitted with the criminal complaint, an image on Karmo's social media account shows a cache of assault-style weapons and handguns laid out with a comment under Karmo's name that read "who but me?"

According to the complaint, Smith said he and Karmo took photos of themselves holding rifles while they were packing for their trip to Kenosha.

Smith told authorities the two intended to travel to Detroit, Idaho, Washington and Oregon, the complaint stated.