Twenty-four-year-old Korean American Heon “Hank” Yoo of Tyler, Texas, was arrested on April 6 on a federal warrant by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Indictment documents dated April 18 and unsealed this week revealed the reasons behind his arrest, which include him falsifying information about his citizenship status and license to carry.
According to the Tyler Paper, Yoo presented himself as a U.S. citizen on five separate occasions in 2016 to three separate firearms dealers. He indicated that he was a citizen on official ATF documents, even though he was not a citizen at the time and is currently not one. Additionally, Yoo claimed to have a valid Texas license to carry a handgun while making purchases on November 6 and November 7, 2017, even though it had been revoked at the time of sale.
As per the indictment, federal employees seized his firearms, accessories, and ammunition with the intent of seeking criminal forfeiture. Authorities would like Yoo to give up his weapons, which include “a 12-gauge shotgun, a Smith and Wesson M&P AR-15 assault rifle, a DPMS LR-308 semi-automatic assault rifle, a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, four boxes of ammunition and magazines and two rifle cases with firearms accessories.”
Yoo is currently being held in the Smith County Jail without bond.
Born in South Korea, the self-described “Neo-Confederate” first made the rounds online for his anti-Black Lives Matter statements, Confederate pride, and a rendition of “Dixie.” His social media accounts have since been deleted for their controversial content.
