CLEVELAND — Christian Stanley Ferguson, 20, of Cleveland was arrested in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park for planning to ambush and kill federal authorities on May 8.
According to the FBI, investigators identified Ferguson after he made several violent posts on an app called Discord. The criminal complaint states that for weeks, Ferguson described a desire to falsely report a crime in hope that federal law enforcement would respond. He then stated that he would ambush officers, kill them, rob them of their weapons, and start an uprising.
Investigators also discovered Ferguson took his plan a step further when he met up with individuals several times to discuss how to carry out his plan.
The Cleveland man also engaged in AR-15 rifle practice drills and even conducted a “dry run” of his plan. Ferguson made a false call in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to measure the park rangers’ response time. According to the complaint, Ferguson believed four federal officers responded. He then stated if that many officers responded to the real event; he would likely have to kill them all. The FBI monitored these meetings.
Ferguson was transferred to federal custody on May 12. He is now charged with attempted kidnapping.
The Cuyahoga Valley National Park Rangers, Cuyahoga Falls Police Department, City of Cuyahoga Falls Prosecutor’s Office, the Cleveland division of the FBI investigated this case. It is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio.
