White Rabbits militia group dismantled as leader Emily Hari sentenced in final case
CHICAGO (WLS) -- It appears to be the end of the road for a violent Illinois militia group called the White Rabbits. That extremist group's leader has been sentenced and the organization dismantled.
The group was formed in the tiny downstate community of Clarence in 2017.
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According to authorities, they stockpiled explosive equipment, building shrapnel-laced pipe bombs, and building an arsenal of assault weapons --some fully automatic.
That year a trail of violence began -- what White Rabbit soldiers called "jobs" -- even though nobody was signing them paychecks.
Their founder and leader assigned ranks to the membership and the group's first major firebomb target was in Bloomington, Minnesota.
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In August 2017, they blew up the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center to send a message that Muslims aren't welcome in America.
Three months later at a Champaign women's clinic where abortions were performed, there was another firebombing, but that one fizzled. By then, the group was on the FBI's radar.
Once penetrated by federal authorities, it was the militia group that imploded in 2018. Nearly a half dozen people have now been convicted or pleaded guilty in connection with the militia crimes.
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Emily Hari, the group's founder, top recruiter and attack leader is beginning a 14-year federal sentence for Illinois crimes, on top of a 53-year sentence for the Minnesota mosque attack.
The 51-year-old Hari was self-designated as captain, underlings were sergeant and corporal. Between the two cases, Hari is looking to be released at age 100.
