Chance Brannon, 24, of San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, California, United States is a former U.S. Marine Corps member stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California. He is friends with Tibet Ergul, 22, of Irvine, Orange County and Xavier Batten, 21, of Brooksville, Hernando County, Florida, USA.
In February 2022 and March 2022, Brannon, Ergul and Batten conspired to use a Molotov cocktail to destroy a commercial property. During this period, Brannon was an active-duty U.S. Marine Corps member.
On March 12, 2022, Brannon and Ergul assembled a Molotov cocktail in the garage of the latter. On March 13, 2022, they threw the Molotov cocktail at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa, Orange County to scare pregnant women and the doctors and staff providing abortion services.
In May 2022, Brannon counseled Batten on how to get away with committing another attack. In June 2022, Brannon and Ergul planned to use another Molotov cocktail to damage or destroy another Planned Parenthood clinic.
Brannon and Ergul were supposed to execute the plan but abandoned it after seeing law enforcement near the clinic they planned to target. They later talked about attacking an electrical substation to disrupt the functioning of the power grid in Orange County and start a race war.
On June 14, 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service arrested Brannon and Tibet. In July 2023, Batten was arrested.
In November 2023, Brannon pleaded guilty to conspiracy, possession of an unregistered destructive device, malicious destruction of property by fire and explosives and intentionally damaging a reproductive health services facility.
On January 19, 2024, Batten pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered destructive device and intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility. On May 15, 2024, he will be sentenced.
On February 29, 2024, Ergul pleaded guilty to conspiracy to damage an energy facility and intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility. On May 30, 2024, he will be sentenced.
On April 15, 2024, Brannon was sentenced to nine years in prison. He was also ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution.
CONAN Daily 