Kansas City man and member of ‘Red Legs’ pleads guilty to possessing destructive devices
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A Kansas City man and member of ‘Red Legs’ has pleaded guilty to possession of unregistered destructive devices, according to federal officials. Officials said Lake Ethan Roberts, 26, was charged after federal investigators alleged he was a member of a group called the “Red Legs,” which court documents say has been active since at least November 2023. Prosecutors allege the group discussed plans to commit violence against government members and property, including the National Guard and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The group communicated through a private chat. The Red Legs members periodically trained by shooting firearms at local ranges. Federal investigators allege that on May 14, 2026, Roberts brought two duct-taped devices with an apparent fuse to a meeting with an undercover officer in Richmond, Missouri, describing them as “alcohol shooters filled with black powder surrounded with steel BBs,” then detonated both in a rock quarry area. The FBI Laboratory Explosives Unit said the devices were IEDs, and investigators say Roberts had no destructive devices registered under the National Firearms Act. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison with no parole in the federal system. Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.