Leader of Michigan white supremacist group sentenced to prison

By Edward Era Barbacena

The leader of The Base, a national white supremacist group that advocates for violence against the government, was sentenced to prison Tuesday after preparing for years to kill police and minorities in an effort to start a race war.

Justen Watkins, 25, of Bad Axe, was sentenced to 32 months - four years for conspiring to train for a civil disorder and a mandatory consecutive two years for a felony firearm charge by Judge Amy Gierhart of the Tuscola County Circuit Court.

One of the charges filed against Watkins, conspiring to train for a civil disorder, marked the first time a defendant has faced the felony in Michigan’s history.

The neo-Nazi organization embraced the idea of militant accelerationism, urging members to commit acts that will hasten society's downfall in the hopes of then building a white ethno-state, according to court documents.

The group's plans involved calling for police assistance to an area and then killing officers that arrived, according to sentencing documents 

“In the months prior to his arrest, Watkins conspired with his co-defendants to enhance their tactical capabilities and firearms proficiencies to engage in violence against minorities and the government in furtherance of a civil disorder," sentencing documents say. “Their concerted efforts included regularly conducting tactical firearms training, and hosting 'hate camps' for members of The Base and other like-minded individuals.”

“In late November 2019, as part of his in-real-life vetting, Watkins traveled to downtown Detroit where he walked around the city streets harassing and attempting to bait African-Americans into a physical altercation,” reads the document. “When exchanging messages with members of The Base about the night, Watkins described his actions as having 'harassed n*****s and called out race mixers.'"

Court documents also say members of The Base began to plan possible attacks against the headquarters of VICE News.

“I truly believe that we prevented a massacre of untold proportions by investigating in this case and moving in when we did,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said during a press conference Tuesday.

Watkins and a fellow neo-Nazi training with firearms (Attorney General's Office)

In October 2020, Watkins was charged in connection to a December 2019 incident in which a Dexter family was terrorized at their home after Watkins used intimidation tactics and posted messages to other members of The Base targeting the home.

From this incident, Watkins faced charges in Washtenaw County including gang membership, unlawful posting of a message and using computers to commit a crime.

After these charges, authorities found evidence that Watkins and two other members of The Base, Thomas Denton and Tristan Webb, entered two former and vacant Michigan Department of Corrections sites in the city of Caro a few weeks prior to the charges being filed.

The men assessed the properties as potential areas for paramilitary firearms training exercises, the Attorney General's Office said.

From this, Watkins was charged with one count larceny in a building, one count gang membership, one count conspiracy to train with firearms for a civil disorder and one count felony firearm.

Webb pleaded no contest to gang membership, conspiracy to train with firearms for a civil disorder and felony firearm on May 16.

Denton pleaded no contest to felony firearm and conspiracy to train with firearms for a civil disorder.

Founded in 2018, The Base is a white supremacy gang that advocates for violence against the U.S. and purports to be training for a race war to establish white ethno-nationalist rule in areas of the U.S., including Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Watkins claims to have been the leader of The Base and reportedly ran a "hate camp" for members to learn firearms training with the goal of being prepared for the violent overthrow of the government.