FBI alleges three arrested planned attacks on federal government

Friday, Aug. 1, 1997 | 9:02 a.m.

Griffith Evan Rausch Jr., 25, Kevin Patrick Storms, 26, and his brother, Robert Mackellar Storms, 30, were arrested on Wednesday after the FBI raided Rausch's apartment.

Rausch, who graduated at the top of his policy academy class, was promoted to a patrol deputy just last week.

Kevin Storms is a reserve deputy and his brother, Robert, is a bartender at the Bucket of Blood saloon.

An FBI affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Reno said a seven-month investigation determined the men considered themselves members of a militant anti-government group and planned to use the weapons they built in attacks on the government.

Kevin Storms talked about shooting "blue-helmeted, jack-booted thugs," according to the affidavit by undercover FBI agent George Gast.

Gast said Storms also talked of trying to recruit new members for their militia "cell," the affidavit said.

The three are charged with manufacturing and selling machine guns, building and selling pipe bombs and other explosive devices, conspiracy and aiding and abetting.

Storey County Sheriff Bob Del Carlo said that he never saw any indication that Rausch or Kevin Storms harbored anti-government sentiments. Rausch and Kevin Storms have been suspended from the department pending the outcome of the case.

"I think every area of every community has dissident-type people who make off-the-wall comments. But I never heard any of these gentlemen do it," Del Carlo said.

"Mr. Rausch appeared to be a very calm person," the sheriff continued. "It's upsetting. It's upsetting to every one of the officers I've talked to. He was well known and well liked in the department."

Jerry Hill, special agent in charge of the FBI office in Reno, said an investigation continued and more arrests were possible.