Seven additional members of a North Texas Antifa cell have been sentenced for their roles in a July 4, 2025, terrorist attack on the Prairieland Detention Center, bringing the total combined sentences for 15 individuals to over 556 years in prison.
The latest sentencings, which occurred before the one-year anniversary of the attack, saw Ines Soto receive 50 years, Joy Gibson and Rebecca Morgan each 15 years, Lynette Sharp and John Thomas each over 9 years (110 months), Seth Sikes 6 years, and Nathan Baumann 22 months. These seven received a combined 106 years, following the 100-year sentence given last week to ringleader Benjamin Hanil Song.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas emphasized the severity of the crime. "The attack on the Prairieland Detention Center, almost a year ago to the day, was not only a vicious attack on a building but also an attack on the men and women from our North Texas communities who work there," Raybould said. FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock added that the sentences underscore "the seriousness of the violent acts committed against our law enforcement partners."
The attack involved rioting, the use of weapons and explosives, and the attempted murder of an Alvarado police officer at the facility, which houses illegal aliens awaiting deportation. Evidence at trial revealed the defendants, operating under the front "Emma Goldman Book Club," were part of a militant enterprise aiming to overthrow the U.S. Government and law enforcement. They wore "black bloc" attire, used encrypted messaging, and acquired over 50 firearms.
U.S. District Court Judge Mark T. Pittman noted the danger posed by the actions, stating, "It’s fine to disagree with the government and we have an absolute right to protest, but not to put people in danger." Chief U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’ Connor condemned the acts, saying, "The defendants’ violence and terrorism is an assault on Democracy." The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and local police departments.
The final defendant, Susan Kent, is scheduled for sentencing on July 6, 2026. U.S. Attorney Raybould affirmed, "We will continue to hold others accountable who perpetrate such violence and fund these ANTIFA groups in the Northern District of Texas."