Teen's Graduation Money Becomes Evidence in Thwarted UFC Terror Plot

A 19-year-old from Ohio is facing decades in federal prison after federal agents from the Cincinnati division arrested him last week for his alleged role in a coordinated terror plot against UFC Freedom 250. What makes this case particularly striking is how quickly parents themselves became the break in the investigation — and how a teenager’s online radicalization unraveled in a matter of days.

Tycen Proper, the suspect, allegedly used $3,000 of his graduation money to purchase tactical gear, ballistic plates, firearms, ammunition, and extra magazines. One of the weapons he acquired was an assault rifle painted like the American flag. On June 10, his mother called local police expressing concern about his behavior. When officers arrived at the house, his father revealed that Proper had been planning reconnaissance missions with strangers he’d met online, and was scheduled to take a trip with these individuals over that weekend.

During questioning on June 11, Proper allegedly admitted to authorities that he and co-conspirators were planning a coordinated attack on the United States government during the UFC event at the White House. According to police, his plan involved detonating a drone loaded with explosives over the event to force an evacuation, then having gunmen pick off high-profile targets as they fled the scene. The stated goal, authorities claim, was to jumpstart a revolution in America. During his interview with federal agents, Proper identified online usernames of several alleged co-conspirators, including a man known as Eskridge who allegedly wanted to restore what he and others called the old republic that they believed had been hijacked by corporations, politicians, and foreign actors.

Three other individuals — Abraham Alvarez, Bryan Roa, and Michael Thomas — are also the subject of criminal complaints in connection with the plot. Proper now faces several serious charges including conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, attempted murder of a federal official, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and receipt or transfer of a firearm to be used to commit a felony. He’s being held without bond, and if convicted of all charges, he faces decades behind bars.

The case underscores a growing concern: how quickly radicalization can happen through online networks, and how vigilant families need to be about recognizing warning signs. Proper’s parents noticed behavioral red flags and acted on them — a decision that may have prevented a catastrophic event. It’s a grim reminder that terror threats increasingly originate not from distant adversaries, but from people living in our own communities, often radicalized through encrypted online spaces by individuals they’ve never met in person.