Authorities: Ex-Lejeune Marines facing gun charges had white supremacist ties

Liam Montgomery Collins, 21, was a member of and made multiple posts on the “Iron March” forum, a gathering point for young neo-Nazis to organize and recruit for extremist organizations that was closed in late 2017, while he was stationed at Camp Lejenue, authorities said. Collins met Paul James Kryscuk, 35, of Boise, Idaho, through the forum, and they expanded their group using an encrypted messaging application as an alternate means of communication outside of the forum.

Collins and Kryscuk recruited additional members, including Jordan Duncan, 26, who also was at Camp Lejeune, and Justin Wade Hermanson, 21, who still is in the Marines, and they conducted live-fire training in the desert near Boise, authorities said. From video footage recorded by the members during the training, the participants are seen firing assault-type rifles, and the end of the video shows the four participants outfitted in skull masks giving the “Heil Hitler” sign beneath the image of a black sun, a Nazi symbol. The last frame bears the phrase, “Come home, white man.”

All four men are charged with conspiracy to manufacture firearms and ship them interstate. Collins, Kryscuk and Hermanson also are charged with interstate transportation of firearms without a license, and Collins and Kryscuk are charged with interstate transportation of a firearm not registered as required.

Court documents say the conspiracy involved Collins and Kryscuk manufacturing and selling hard-to-obtain firearms and firearm parts so purchasers of the weapons would be unknown to government authorities.

Authorities say Duncan and Hermanson were aware of the conspiracy and participated in it.

Since May 2019, Collins made multiple money transfers through his personal account to Kryscuk to purchase firearms, including a 9mm pistol and suppressor – it's commonly referred to as a silencer – and a short-barrel rifle, authorities said. In turn, Kryscuk purchased items from vendors to manufacture the firearms and suppressors, which are highly regulated in the U.S.

Authorities said Kryscuk, using an alias, mailed weapons from Idaho to Jacksonville, N.C., near Camp Lejeune. Documents also say Kryscuk shipped the short-barreled rifle to Collins in Pennsylvania.