KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Federal prosecutors have charged a Kansas City, Missouri man with possession of unregistered destructive devices in violation of U.S. law.
Lake Ethan Roberts, 26, of Kansas City, Mo., faces a one-count criminal complaint and made his initial court appearance Thursday.
Court documents allege Roberts was a member of a group called the “Red Legs,” which has been active since at least November 2023. Members communicated through a private chat group, where they discussed plans to carry out acts of violence targeting government entities and property — specifically U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the National Guard, and opposing political groups.
Among Roberts’ messages to the group were the following:
“We need to plan decisive action against ice and dhs.”
“What are the chances we could get away with using drones to drop incendiary’s [sic] to demolish key infrastructure.”
“I like the idea of using drones carrying cocktails to demolish key structures.”
“After we build our ranks and adequately arm ourselves, we can look into escalation.”
“If ice moves to kc, thoughts on an armed response.”
Red Legs members also trained periodically by shooting firearms at a local range as part of their preparations for armed conflict with the federal government.
According to the complaint, on May 14, 2026, Roberts and another Red Legs member met with an undercover law enforcement officer in Richmond, Mo. Roberts brought two devices wrapped in duct tape with an apparent fuse, describing them as “alcohol shooters filled with black powder surrounded with steel BBs.” He detonated both devices at a rock quarry to demonstrate how they worked. The FBI Laboratory Explosives Unit subsequently determined the two devices constituted improvised explosive devices, or IEDs.
An explosives expert explained that IEDs — commonly known as homemade bombs — generally consist of an explosive main charge, an initiation method, and sometimes a container or enhancements. The devices in this case were small liquor bottles containing low-explosive black powder, with a cannon fuse serving as the initiator. When properly assembled, such devices are capable of causing property damage, injury, or death. Investigators checked with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives National Firearms Act Branch and confirmed Roberts had not registered any destructive devices as required under the National Firearms Act of 1934.
The allegations in the complaint are accusations, not evidence of guilt, and Roberts is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. A conviction on the charge of unlawfully possessing an unregistered destructive device carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison. The federal judicial system does not provide for parole. Congress sets these maximum statutory sentences, and any sentence imposed would be determined by the court based on advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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