President of Neo-Nazi Organization Contracted to Work in the Middle East

Randal Krager (L) with (L-R, foreground) other neo-Nazi leaders Del O’Connor (Blood & Honour America), David Lynch (American Front), and Mike Lawrence (Volksfront) circa 2009.

On November 30, 2010, antifascist hackers targeted and disabled over a dozen fascist, neo-Nazi, and white power websites, publicly releasing information from several neo-Nazi forums as well as associated email addresses. In a press release, the hackers explained their action as a response to neo-Nazi violence:

We did this in solidarity with our comrades who have been attacked by organized fascists in the past year - the November 8 attack at Jason and Bonnie Devine's home in Calgary, the March 27th shooting of SHARP [SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice] Luke Querner in Portland OR, the April 6 bombing of an anti-fascist house in Vancouver, and the murder of Russia RASH [Red and Anarchist SkinHeads] founder Ivan Khutorskoy just over one year ago. [1]

Rose City Antifascists (RCA) discovered a particularly noteworthy email in the wealth of intelligence made public by the hack. In a message dated October 15, 2009, Randal Krager—founder and president of the neo-Nazi organization Volksfront International—delegated tasks involved with running the group while he prepared to spend a year in the Middle East working for a private firm, possibly connected to the US military presence in the region.

Krager wrote of his imminent departure:

hey fellas, I will be leaving for houstan [sic] this sunday, if i pass a full physical and some more classes, approx a week later i will be leaving for the middle east for work.

it is a year contract, i wil [sic] be back every 4 months for 10 days paid leave.

---ALL---- communications from the mid-east are monitored by dept. of defense and/or cia so i will have some contact but will not be able to discuss any business, not even vaguely. [2]

This email confirms documentation RCA gained from the previously-leaked contents of a Volksfront message board. In a private message from this older leaked forum, “southernbelle88” (pseudonym of Alexandra Palonen) wrote to Abbie Krager, Randal's wife: “Paulo [Paulo Florência, an ex-Portugal Hammerskin now living in the United States and in Volksfront’s orbit] went and picked up the CD's yesterday and Randy told him how he was leaving for the Middle East.”

Krager’s work assignment is also corroborated by forlorn but vague posts on Abbie Krager's personal Facebook page over the past year.

Houston, Texas, where Krager stated he would have his “full physical and some more classes,” is the headquarters of major contracting companies doing work in the Middle East such as Halliburton and KBR, Inc. (formerly Kellogg Brown & Root.)

While away, the Volksfront leader determined that “Spider, Paul, Justin, Bill with B in Canada will be handling any decisions for North America by Majority vote.”

Corey J. Miller AKA “Spider” is currently serving time in prison in Colorado after having been found violating parole—from a felony aggravated robbery conviction in 1996—by traveling to white power events across the country. Members of Miller’s Volksfront chapter in Virginia were involved with the vandalism of synagogues in Norfolk during April 2009. Police became aware of Miller during the investigation, and Miller went to court for violating his parole in July of this year. [3]

“Paul” presumably refers to Paul Alfich in the Chicago, IL area. Paul Alfich was the main organizer for the Volksfront “social” in Chicago on February 6, 2010. [4]

“Justin” would be Portland’s own Justin Ryan Martin, target of numerous RCA campaigns for his participation in and leadership of Volksfront's local chapter. Martin was convicted in 1996 for a kidnapping with elements of racial intimidation, accepting a plea deal to avoid prosecution on robbery charges. Martin served for many years as Volksfront's muscle. Recent photos of Martin at Volksfront gatherings in Oregon may be found in the photo albums RCA recently leaked here.

“Bill” refers to William West, East Coast Volksfront. West was involved with organizing the neo-Nazi “Patriot Action” event that took place in April 2009. [5] West’s name was in the news in 2007 when animal cruelty charges were brought against him and two others for the decapitation of a pet rabbit. [6]

Brad Galloway of Vancouver, B.C. is “B in Canada.” You may also find Galloway in the recently-leaked photo albums along with Justin Martin, in images from a Pacific Northwest Volksfront gathering during November of this year.

In 1994, Krager began a prison sentence in Oregon State Penitentiary for nearly beating to death an African American father of four—leaving him paralyzed—in a racially motivated attack. During that term in prison, Krager and three other inmates founded the neo-Nazi organization Volkfront. Today, Volksfront remains the most significant racist skinhead group in Oregon. Volksfront International has chapters across the United States and on three continents. Its members and supporters have been responsible for a myriad of crimes, including murder.

The precursor to RCA “out-ed” Krager and his current wife (his third marriage) Abbie Krager, née Chelf, after they helped organize Hammerfest 2007 in Oregon. Anti-racists successfully shut down the fest and alerted the neo-Nazis' neighbors about their violent history and organizing. [7] (“Hammerfest” is a gathering of the neo-Nazi Hammerskin Nation; relations between the Hammerskin Nation and Volksfront have now soured. [8]) The Kragers were exposed a second time to neighbors and employers in August of 2008 for their participation in a white power gathering in Missouri. [9] Within a month, the two were confirmed to have vacated their home.

After living in Lakeland, Florida for the better part of a year—at the property of Volksfront leader Mike Lawrence and his then-partner Mary Kate Keenan—the Kragers settled in Omaha, Nebraska. Despite persistent rumors of Randy's cheating during Abbie's first pregnancy, the couple has stuck together and now has another child.

Incidentally, Omaha was the location of the Volksfront affiliated Blood & Honour American Division's 2010 US gathering over Fourth of July weekend. [10] The Blood & Honour event was more than likely the result of Volksfront member Chad Bostwick relocating to nearby Malvern, Iowa shortly before the event.

Krager has presided over Volksfront's organizing both formally and informally for over 15 years. His employment in the Middle East is disturbing, especially given Krager’s history of violence against people of color and other groups he perceives to be enemies. Unfortunately, his case is not exceptional. Members of the US military are more than occasionally found on white supremacist social networking sites, and the November 30 hacks have also revealed information about white supremacists with military connections.

Finally, other emails leaked on November 30, reveal that the History Channel program “Gangland” paid a significant sum of money to Krager following Volksfront’s participation in one of their episodes. The program also flew members of the organization to Missouri in order to gather at their meeting hall there, and provided other incentives. The show has been a successful recruiting tool for Volksfront. Rose City Antifa were approached about appearing on the “Gangland” episode about Volksfront, but declined to participate.

Volksfront’s earnings from participation in “Gangland”

We publish these findings to inform others involved in anti-fascist struggles, to alert the public about the endeavors of these neo-Nazis, and to let Volksfront know they are being watched and will not go unopposed wherever they seek to expand their influence.

Endnotes

[1] “Hackers Expose Nazis Again. Yes, Again!,” One People's Project website, December 3, 2010,
<http://onepeoplesproject.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=585:hackers-expose-nazis-again-yes-again>. (Note: Luke Querner is a Portland anti-racist skinhead, but does not use the term SHARP to describe himself.)

[2] Krager, Randal, message of October 15, 2009 from the Volksfront International hotmail account.

[3] Hansen, Louis, “Alleged Skinhead has Court Date Today,” The Virginian-Pilot, July 12, 2010, <http://hamptonroads.com/2010/07/alleged-skinhead-arrested-norfolk-has-court-date-today>.

[4] South Side Chicago Anti-Racist Action, “Details of Midwest Volksfront ‘Race Over All’ Gathering Exposed,” South Side Chicago ARA site, February 4, 2010, <http://southsideara.wordpress.com/2010/02/04/details-of-midwest-volksfront-race-over-all-gathering-exposed>.

[5] “anti-racists,” “Information on Neo-Nazis Attending the Boston, MA ‘Patriot Action’ Event,” Portland Indymedia website, April 11, 2009, <http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2009/04/389950.shtml>.

[6] “Milton Man, 2 Others Charged with Killing Pet Rabbit,” The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, MA), November 14, 2007, <http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/patriot-ledger-the-quincy-mass/mi_8043/is_20071114/milton-2-charged-killing-pet/ai_n47818350/>.

[7] Christmas, Mary, “Skin of a Different Color,” Willamette Week, October 10, 2007, <http://wweek.com/editorial/3348/9672/>.

[8] As Krager’s email of October 15, 2009 put it: “regarding the current bullshit. ... we know, for a fact, beyond doubt, that hsn [Hammerskin Nation] has linked up with the vinlanders [Vinlanders Social Club, a group that has its origins in a breakaway from the Hammerskin Nation, and which violently feuded with both HSN and Volksfront] and c18 [Combat 18, another neo-Nazi tendency] and has made overtures to small c18 support groups, it changes nothing tactically, but is something everyone should be aware.  It is also my opinion, at least for now, nothing should be said publically about the problems, because of reds and police monitoring everything.  If the situation changes drastically while i am away you'll have to make the best decision you can, but it should by made by the presidents world-wide, and no one should act without consulting each other.”

[9] “anti-racists” (Rose City Antifa), “Portland Neo-Nazis ‘Out-ed’ by Anti-Racists, August 29 & 30,” Portland Indymedia website, <http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2008/08/379037.shtml>.

[10] Rose City Antifascists, “Portland Anti-Fascists Respond to Neo-Nazi Gathering in Nebraska, Expose Local Attendee,” Portland Indymedia website, July 3, 2010, <http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2010/07/400781.shtml>.