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Former Batavia resident in Texas accused of plotting an insurgency

By Howard B. Owens
Robert Talbot

A former Batavia resident has been arrested by federal authorities in Texas, accused of plotting against the U.S. Government.

Robert J. Talbot, 42, allegedly was plotting to blow up buildings and kill cops once he convinced people to join him in his American Insurgent Movement.

Friday, Talbot was arraigned in Federal Court in Houston, near where he was living, and charged with illegal possession of explosive materials and interfering with commerce by threats of violence.

FBI agents tracked Talbot for eight months, in person and online, apparently going undercover and winning his trust, convincing him he was picking up followers.

That's how you isolate a "lone wolf" one agent told the Houston Chronicle to help contain their activity.

Authorities say Talbot went beyond angry rants.

He allegedlly staked out banks and armored cars and was plotting a possible robbery to fund his movement. He allegedly researched explosives and asked undercover agents for help in obtaining explosives.

Talbot was taken into custody by a SWAT team while allegedly heading to the location of a planned armored car robbery.

"I would say he had the will, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Ferko. "He was absolutely determined."

George Richardson

I'm a former Batavian living in Texas and I can say that there are lots of Tea Bag Nut jobs who feel the same way. It is scary living in Austin because I am surrounded by Texassoles in every direction.

Mar 29, 2014, 9:43pm Permalink
Jeff Allen

Understanding that I am probably now being investigated, I went to the link for the website. If nothing more, it is a sad statement on the importance of grammar in our school systems.

Mar 29, 2014, 11:58pm Permalink
alvin tufts

So they had this guy's trust. While having coffee with him, one cop could point a gun in his face while another handcuffs him. Somehow it required a SWAT team. Sounds reasonable.

Mar 30, 2014, 12:20pm Permalink
Scott Blossom

Alvin, please learn how to look at and read the source article before before you start a cop bashing rant.

"He was formally advised of the charges, including illegal possession of explosive materials and interfering with commerce by threats of violence. Talbot could spend up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Before being arrested Thursday by an FBI SWAT team while allegedly on the way to an armored car robbery in northwest Harris County, authorities said, Talbot shared a written battle cry:"

Those are two sections from the source article.

Hmmmm, already was in possession of explosives and was caught while apparently in route to rob an amored car. Yeah, SWAT seems resonable to me.

The article states they are unclear if he had any other associates or other stashes of explosives or weapons. My guess is that they were trying to get all this information and that the investigation would have continued for quite some more time to answer those questions. This armored car robbery (apparent) forced the agents hands. They had to act to prevent someone from getting hurt.

READ all the information first, before making a dumb cop bashing statement!

Mar 30, 2014, 12:57pm Permalink
George Richardson

Last Summer, in a west side high dollar neighborhood of Austin, Texas a swat team raided and elderly (over 60) couple on an anonymous tip. They had the fancy vehicles and massive over kill of jack booted thugs in black and they smashed the front door down at six am. The couple was given a citation for a small amount of personal consumption marijuana and the Austin Police Department looked like the fools they are. I'm glad they weren't black or they would have stood a good chance of being gunned down. Austin cops are absolutely terrified of black people and they shoot to kill for almost nothing while the Police Chief goes on the defensive and backs them up no matter how heinous their crimes are. Unless one of them smokes a marijuana cigarette and then they are fired pronto.

SWAT = Sooey With Another Toy.

Mar 30, 2014, 1:06pm Permalink
david spaulding

the guy is lucky to be alive after dealing with federal agents. federal agents are above the law. they do not have to answer for their actions. ie ruby ridge, in fact at ruby ridge they got promotions.
you could have asked Ibragim Todashev about federal investigations but the feds shot him to death while questioning him. they still don't know what happened but the states attorney office of florida says he will not prosecute... what ever happened to a grand jury?...lol not when you're a federal thug.
I can not believe a word these federal agents have to say...... it's just the way it is.

Mar 30, 2014, 2:56pm Permalink
david spaulding

Scott, hold on, if the truth ever comes out and mr. Talbot did in fact have explosives you'll find out he got it from the agents during the investigation and it was harmless.
it's what I call a fabricated crime..
there are so many cops out there and they get bored so they make up crimes by enticing vulnerable unstable people. in the end they appear to be heroes and move up the pay scale along with a new badge. don't trust them.

Mar 30, 2014, 3:04pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

I'm torn on this ... Assuming he really holds the beliefs ascribed to him -- the guy is possibly off the rails ... but how dangerous was he? How much was he enticed into pursuing his fantasies vs. if he was just left alone? We'll probably never know. But I'm also not the type to paint with a broad brush and assume that these particular agents were anything other than professional in the absence of actual evidence. Of course, if somebody is plotting violence, should they really be left alone?

Mar 30, 2014, 3:43pm Permalink
Scott Blossom

Read a little closer Dave. They didn't know of all were theirs or if he had more. The stuff they gave would be of a poor grade and maybe not of a caliber to work. Don't forget, in drug cases they have to have multiple sales before they can get a warrent.

I do know that racism exisits. I don't believe it accounts for everything. Everyone can cite individual cases from Clintons cronies to whoever. The overwhelming majority of actions are on the up and up, following the rules. You will find bad seeds anywhere if you look hard enough. Even in our own families. To use a broad brush on the law enforcement community is really quite dumb in my book.

In this case, enticing a vulnerable unstable person? This guy was a nut job who was activly trying to set up a "cell". Do you want to take the chance? I'd rather see him in at least a padded room to see which screw is lose or missing.

I am simply sick and tired of cop bashing and race cards being thrown at the drop of a hat.

Sorry to the haters and paranoid conspiracy freaks out there. I will throw the benefit of the doubt to our law enforcement agencies. As far as racism is concerned, I am the biggest type of racist you will find. I CANT STAND BIGOTS!

Mar 30, 2014, 4:25pm Permalink
david spaulding

Scott, i'm the only one posting above that comes close to a Dave so I assume you are posting to me. drug cases? don't know anything about them.. racism? don't know anything about that either.
cop bashing? not too sure if that is directed at me or not. I will share with you that
I do not trust the police nor do I trust the people in charge of government, if that is what you are talking about. I think I can legally feel that way, if not and you know something, please share it with me. I am on the up and up too.

Mar 30, 2014, 7:30pm Permalink
Scott Blossom

I should have been more specific, only the 1st paragraph addresed what you said. The rest were for other postings in this thread. I understand your distrust and that is totaly fine. But distrust and mean uneducated bashing are different things. I see that from too many others.

The 1st paragraph was a little clarification, the rest was for other posters. Sorry if I offended you. Not intensional.

Mar 30, 2014, 7:50pm Permalink
Jeff Allen

George, you described your police dept. as heinous, trigger happy, and jack booted thugs. You also said in your first post that it was scary living there. Logical question would be, why do you choose to live there?

Mar 30, 2014, 8:56pm Permalink
George Richardson

My tomatoes are a foot tall in my garden and I'm wearing shorts, a tee shirt and no shoes. My backyard is an eighth of an acre with a greenbelt in the rear. My kids grew up in this house, my mortgage is paid in full and Austin is a great place to live and raise a family. The idiots who need to carry guns everywhere, legal and encouraged, by our nit wit Governor and the police are what scare me. Plus much of the rest of Texas is redneck, racist and happily under educated. Homeschooling makes for some pretty weird closed minds. Austin is a pool of beautiful blue water and tranquility surrounded by a lake of blood.

Mar 31, 2014, 12:32pm Permalink
Jeff Allen

So to combine your posts into summary form, it's a great place to live and raise a family surrounded by racist, undereducated rednecks you don't like, policed by thugs who scare you, and governed by nit wits who encourage rights you don't agree with. Or in short form, it's warm and cheap.

Mar 31, 2014, 2:12pm Permalink
George Richardson

Jeff, it is much like Batavia except not that cheap and not that cold and one million additional drivers. As a young Batavian I could never get myself to dress properly for the Winter because it didn't look cool. I was cold to be cool then and now I can't take the heat without A/C. Still, I have a satisfied mind.

Mar 31, 2014, 2:42pm Permalink
John Woodworth JR

Well George, I suggest you remove yourself from such a crazy state but, then again you chose to move there. So as far as Texans being the arses you may want to look in the mirror and reconsidered your thoughts. Sorry but, it is not about whether you are a liberal, libertarian, tea party, conservative, democrat , republican, etc... Our government no matter what party you belong to, is corrupt and self-serving. When you have the majority of Americans being ignored you are bound to have people get upset. Unfortunately MR. Talbot took his frustration to the extreme. I do not understand why violence is looked as the way to get your point across. It just causes more issues than it is worth.

Apr 1, 2014, 6:06pm Permalink
John Woodworth JR

Well with all the alleged problems in Austin and the many other places to raise tomatoes and wear shorts and a t-shirt. It sounds to me that the nit wit/nut is the one you see in the mirror.

Apr 1, 2014, 6:11pm Permalink

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