US media announced the trial of two of the eight men facing charges in an alleged plot to use drones and snipers to attack a mixed martial arts demonstration at the White House.
Tyson Propper, 19, of Danville, Ohio, and Chandler Skaggs, 21, of Chapmanville, Virginia, appeared before U.S. District Judge Edmund Sargos Jr. in Ohio, where the case was consolidated into a single court.
The Associated Press noted that the two men were wearing prison clothes and were handcuffed during the hearing.
The two defendants, along with the other six defendants, face charges of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to commit murder against a federal official.
Judge Sargos set September 14 as the date for the start of the trial.
Based on court records, it remains unclear to what extent the alleged attackers had the capability to carry out the plan they are accused of orchestrating.
Eric Bream, Skaggs' lawyer, said in a statement that his office is still in the early stages of reviewing the case, "but one thing is already clear: there appears to be a huge gap between the seriousness of the alleged crimes and Skaggs' naiveté, inexperience, and poor judgment."
