Feds charge white supremacist ‘Terrorgram’ leaders for plotting assassinations, encouraging attacks

Federal prosecutors in California have unsealed an indictment charging two individuals with leading an extremist online group known as “Terrorgram,” which targeted high-profile individuals for assassination and encouraged members to commit hate crimes.

The indictment, filed on September 5, accuses Dallas Erin Humber, 34, from Elk Grove, California, and Matthew Robert Allison, 37, from Boise, Idaho, of orchestrating the group’s operations and promoting violent white supremacist ideologies.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke described the case as exposing “the new technological face of white supremacist violence,” as the indictment outlines 15 federal charges, including soliciting murder and hate crimes, as well as conspiring to provide material support for terrorism.

The group, operating on the Telegram app, promoted a brand of white supremacist “accelerationism,” which calls for the use of violence and terrorism to incite a race war and hasten the collapse of the U.S. government. According to court filings, Humber and Allison took over the group in 2022 after a previous leader’s arrest. Under their leadership, they circulated extremist materials, including videos and publications titled *The Hard Reset*, *White Terror*, and *The List*, which encouraged members to commit acts of terror against minorities and government officials.

“The List” reportedly included the names, addresses, and photos of high-profile targets, including a U.S. senator, a federal judge, and a former U.S. attorney. Court filings reveal that Allison urged members to act on these targets, telling them to “take action now” and “do your part” in destabilizing society.

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The group also provided detailed bomb-making instructions and videos on how to identify federal buildings as potential targets, offering a step-by-step guide to avoid detection by law enforcement. Prosecutors said Humber and Allison’s tactics went beyond online rhetoric, with some members inspired to carry out attacks both in the U.S. and abroad.

The indictment ties the “Terrorgram” group to multiple attacks and foiled plots in recent years. Among the violent acts inspired by the group was an October 2022 shooting at an LGBTQ bar in Slovakia, where two people were killed, and a stabbing outside a mosque in Turkey that left five injured. In the U.S., an 18-year-old was arrested in New Jersey for planning an attack on an energy facility, a plot that investigators say was encouraged by Humber and Allison’s online network.

Humber and Allison also produced a 24-minute documentary titled *White Terror*, celebrating over 100 white supremacist attacks spanning decades, from 1968 to 2021. Humber narrated the film, encouraging future perpetrators by reassuring them that their actions would be glorified. According to the indictment, the pair was working on a new publication called *The Saint Encyclopedia*, which aimed to further radicalize followers by celebrating white supremacist attackers.

“These are not mere words,” said Matt Olsen, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Allison and Humber weren’t just inspirational—they provided tactical guidance and pushed their followers to act.”

**Telegram Under Scrutiny**

The indictment comes as Telegram, the messaging platform used by Terrorgram, faces increased legal scrutiny. Last month, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France, with authorities investigating the platform’s alleged role in facilitating criminal activity, including spreading child sexual abuse material and enabling drug trafficking. In response, Durov defended Telegram, stating that claims of it being an “anarchic paradise” were “absolutely untrue.” He added that the platform takes down “millions of harmful posts and channels every day” and works closely with NGOs to improve content moderation.

Despite these efforts, the indictment against Humber and Allison highlights the persistent use of Telegram by extremists to organize and incite violence, raising further questions about the platform’s ability to curb such dangerous activity.

Both Humber and Allison were arrested last Friday, and Allison is expected to appear in court on Tuesday. If convicted, they face severe penalties for their role in leading a white supremacist group that allegedly sought to incite large-scale violence and terror in the U.S. and beyond.