LOS ANGELES — A former Huntington Beach resident with ties to a white supremacist extremist group pleaded guilty today to conspiring to incite violence at political rallies across California. Robert Paul Rundo, 34, admitted to one count of conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Riot Act, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Rundo was linked to the “Rise Above Movement” (RAM), a group that promoted white supremacy and nationalist ideology through violent confrontations at rallies. Between March 2017 and May 2018, Rundo and other RAM members organized and engaged in violent acts at political events, including rallies in Huntington Beach, Berkeley, and San Bernardino.
“This defendant sought to incite riots to promote a white-supremacist agenda and impede the constitutional rights of others,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “Safeguarding civil rights goes to the core of my office’s mission and we will continue to unite with our community against those who promote hate and divisiveness.”
Rundo and other RAM members underwent hand-to-hand combat training in preparation for the violent clashes. They organized the sessions via phone calls, social media, and text messages, and shared photos and videos of themselves engaging in violence, often with the hashtag “#rightwingdeathsquad.”
At a rally in Huntington Beach on March 25, 2017, Rundo tackled and repeatedly punched a protester, later celebrating the assault online with his co-conspirators. On April 15, 2017, at a rally in Berkeley, Rundo and others crossed a police barrier to attack protesters, punching and kicking multiple people. They later posted photos and videos of the assaults on social media. Similar violence occurred at a June 10, 2017, rally in San Bernardino.
“Mr. Rundo’s cowardly and unprovoked acts of violence were unjustly carried out upon his victims, leaving those who were victimized, their families, and our community torn by hate,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
Rundo is scheduled to be sentenced on December 13, where he faces up to five years in federal prison.
