An Aborted Regin of Terror

On April 23, 1997, Todd Vanbiber, a National Alliance adherent in Winter Park, Florida, injured himself while trying to assemble a pipe bomb at a rented storage unit. In a search of Vanbiber's storage unit, law enforcement officials found 14 unregistered explosive devices, weapons and ammunition, bomb-making manuals, Nazi memorabilia and NA materials. Vanbiber ultimately pleaded guilty to illegally constructing and possessing the explosives and was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison. At a sentencing hearing in October 1997, a cellmate testified that Vanbiber admitted he planned to use the bombs against African Americans attending Fourth of July celebrations.

More directly, however, it appears that Vanbiber's accident prevented a major robbery and bombing plot from being carried out. Shortly after his sentencing, Vanbiber began to cooperate with Federal officials. He told authorities that on the night he was injured, he was putting final touches on 14 bombs that he and three accomplices intended to plant on major highways in the Orlando area. The bombs were meant to create chaos and confusion while Vanbiber and his cohorts robbed two nearby banks.

Donating to the National Alliance

In May 1998, Federal agents arrested Vanbiber's alleged accomplices, Brian Pickett, a Tampa National Alliance member, Deena Wanzie, and Christopher Norris on a variety of conspiracy, explosives, weapons and robbery-related charges.

While the gang's alleged plot failed, a Federal complaint accuses Vanbiber and Pickett of successfully robbing three banks: a Tampa bank in January 1996 and banks in Tampa and Danbury, Connecticut, one month later. The Federal complaint also connects Vanbiber and Pickett more closely to the National Alliance and suggests that the men were more than just dues-paying members. Driving home from Connecticut following a successful bank heist, Vanbiber and Pickett allegedly met with William Pierce at his West Virginia compound for about two hours. They each donated $1,000 to the National Alliance and purchased $700 worth of literature.