SALT LAKE CITY — Two Utah men have been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice one day after being repatriated from the Congo for their alleged participation in a failed coup attempt overseas.
One additional man from Utah was also charged for his alleged contribution to the attack, although he did not appear to travel to the Congo himself.
Marcel Malanga and Tyler Thompson, both 22, were among four people charged Wednesday with several offenses, including conspiring to provide material support and resources, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb places of government facilities, and conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country.
While Malanga and Thompson were expected to make their first appearance in a U.S. courtroom in Brooklyn on Wednesday, the United States Attorney's Office said they will appear in Salt Lake City at an undetermined date "for further legal proceedings."
The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, along with other agencies.
Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 37, and Joseph Peter Moesser, 67, were charged along with Malanga and Thompson.
Moesser lives in West Valley City, and according to charging documents, he was "the explosives maker, explosives technician, and explosives supplier." He allegedly met with Malanga and Thompson at his home to instruct them on how various weapons worked.
"[Moesser's] role, among other things, was to design, manufacture, and provide assembly instructions for destructive devices. He also intended to provide sniper support during the attack," the charges state. He allegedly "had a long-standing relationship" with Malanga's father, Christian. Moesser was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Tuesday.
Thompson, Malanga and Zalman-Polun were previously convicted in Congo for their part in last year's deadly coup attempt and sentenced to death. Those sentences were commuted to life imprisonment days before the men were repatriated on Tuesday and expected to serve the remainder of their sentences in the U.S.
Thompson and Malanga attended high school together in Utah. Thompson's family thought Tyler was simply on a vacation paid for by Malanga and Malanga's father, Christian, who organized the coup.
The U.S. charges against the men claim they conducted an "armed military operation" targeting Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi, as well as a deputy prime minister. The group attacked multiple locations while "wearing camouflage fatigues and armed with weapons" in an alleged attempt to overthrow the government and install Christian Malanga as president, the charges state.
Six people were killed during the coup attempt.
The U.S. Attorney's office claimed Marcel Malanga identified himself as the leader of the rebel forces and identified himself as the “Chief of Staff of the Zaire army.” Thompson was described as being a "soldier and drone specialist/operator," while Zalman-Polun was Christian Malanga's chief of staff.
Charges also stem from the group's efforts to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction, including those that could be deployed by drones. Targets included in the coup attempt were "people, private residences, and public buildings," the charges said.
The group also intended to attach a flamethrower to a drone and use it to "light people on fire." Thompson was allegedly the point person assigned to locate the flamethrower attachment. He and Marcel Malanga were seen by witnesses flying drones and practicing with firearms at a Salt Lake City shooting range before leaving for Africa.
If convicted on the U.S. charges, the men face up to 15 years for each count of conspiring to provide material support and resources; and up to life imprisonment for each count of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb places of government facilities, and conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country.
Both Malanga and Thompson also face a maximum penalty of up to 15 years for each count of taking a firearm out of the country to engage in a felony.
