Ronald W Hertzog, a 39-year old resident of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was arrested in his minivan on June 19 by FBI and local police as part of an ongoing investigation. The arrest took place without incident, although it was discovered that Hertzog had seven firearms in his vehicle. Hertzog was a high school dropout who worked in a variety of jobs, but found his calling in the mid-1990s as a militia activist and commander of the Pennsylvania Citizens Militia. He was active not just on the Internet-where in one online forum he gave his occupation as "fighting terrorism"-but also in organizing militia training events in Pennsylvania.

Following the arrest, authorities searched his home and seized several fully automatic weapons, a silencer, and explosive devices, including one converted from an artillery shell. They also found a variety of other weapons and a large cache of ammunition, as well as blueprints for the electrical systems at Penn State University, where Hertzog once worked as a bus driver and computer programmer.

Hertzog is charged with numerous federal violations, including the possession of a silencer, possession of machine guns, possession of unregistered firearms, and building a destructive device. He faces up to twenty years in prison and a $500,000 fine if found guilty.

Hertzog's arrest was the result of a long-term joint investigation involving federal, state, and local agencies. Authorities have not said if there will be more arrests or if Hertzog was the sole focus of the probe. Hertzog was ordered held without bail after prosecutors opposed his release, arguing that the nature and type of weapons confiscated indicated that Hertzog would pose a considerable threat to the community.

According to FBI agent Ross Cooper, Hertzog had claimed that United Nations troops were going to take over the country and impose martial law, and that one way to respond would be to blow up communications towers. Hertzog's defense attorney, Kyle Rude, argued that Hertzog had the weapons only because he feared that World War III was imminent and wanted to protect his family.

Shortly before his arrest, Hertzog posted to an Aryan Nations Internet message board, trying to establish contacts between the two groups, writing that "it can only help both our organizations in doing our part for Homeland Security." Prophetically, he also wrote that "if the feds want you, they already know who you are so get over it, the militia has."

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