FEAR (militia group)
FEAR (Forever Enduring, Always Ready) was a small militia in Georgia that operated from 2011 to September 11, 2012. The group, which included between four and eleven people and several soldiers from Fort Stewart, was accused of planning violent acts such as destroying a dam, poisoning apple orchards in Washington state, bombing Forsyth Park in Savannah, and assassinating President Barack Obama. They used the Army to recruit members and wore tattoos resembling an alpha and omega symbol.
The group’s leader was Isaac Aguigui. In July 2011, Deirdre Aguigui, a 23-year-old Army sergeant who was pregnant, died. Isaac Aguigui later faced murder charges in connection with her death and used the money from her life insurance and death benefits to help arm the group. He had joined right‑wing circles as a teen and grew hostile toward President Obama. He described FEAR as a loose militia with no rank, calling some members “the Family” and planning an elite unit called 666. Aguigui became interested in bomb-making and envisioned a future where the group could overthrow the government, possibly as part of a larger fantasy influenced by a video game article and certain films.
In December 2011, the bodies of 19-year-old Michael Roark and his girlfriend, Tiffany York, were found. Four Fort Stewart soldiers were arrested: Private Christopher Salmon, Sergeant Anthony Peden, Private Isaac Aguigui, and Private First Class Michael Burnett. Roark was killed allegedly because he took money from the group and because there was fear he would reveal their plans. Over the next year, several members faced charges related to murder and violence. Burnett later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter in exchange for testifying against the others.
More indictments followed in 2012, with additional suspects charged with crimes such as tampering with evidence, burglary, and theft. In 2013, Aguigui pleaded guilty to multiple charges including malice murder and criminal gang activity and received a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Salmon also pleaded guilty to malice murder in 2014 and was given life without parole. Heather Salmon, Salmon’s wife, received 20 years for voluntary manslaughter. In a military case, Aguigui was also convicted of murdering his pregnant wife and their unborn child and received a second life sentence with no parole. Peden pleaded guilty in 2014 to malice murder and was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 30 years, with consideration given for his military service and PTSD. Burnett was sentenced in 2016 to eight years in prison and 40 years of court supervision; he was released in December 2019. Other members pled to lesser charges, including illegal gun purchases, theft, and drug dealing to fund the group.
FEAR is described as a domestic terror group that planned serious violent acts but ultimately led to multiple prosecutions and long prison sentences for its members.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 12:03 (CET).