Inside the Neo-Nazi Movement

Date

Hosted byGeorge Knapp

George Knapp was joined by journalist and radio host Brian Holland, who shared his story of becoming a high ranking member of the White Power movement while simultaneously acting as an informant for the FBI. Holland detailed how, at the age of 18, he joined an organization in Virginia and quickly rose up the ranks of the movement. As his profile grew in the Neo Nazi subculture, Holland became the "national liaison" for a prominent White Power organization, trying to unite smaller groups, and was even named their Presidential candidate in 2008. Holland attributed his position as a public face of the White Power movement to his clean cut image and his understanding that less extreme rhetoric would help to entice new members.

Concurrent to Holland's ascension in the White Power movement, he was surreptitiously working for the FBI to provide them with information on various groups and individuals, beginning in 1999. He explained that the job entailed going to Neo Nazi gatherings as well as meetings with prominent leaders in the movement and then filing reports on the events for the government. According to Holland, at times he was making 7 or 8 thousand dollars a month as an informant and all of that income was tax free. He was also subjected to random polygraph tests to insure that his reports were accurate and that he wasn't withholding information. Based on his experience, including being tasked to infiltrate PETA, Holland surmised that there are government informants in most organizations, regardless of their agendas and beliefs.

Ultimately, and without warning, Holland saw his employment with the FBI terminated and was told that "now you don't exist." He lamented that "with the shake of a bureaucratic hand, the third highest ranking Neo Nazi in the country was put out to pasture after 11 years of risking my life." His break with the government was so stark that they refused to accept further information from him, including insight into a drug and gun smuggling ring that Holland had later uncovered. He expressed some trepidation that a handful of White Power movement members could seek retribution on him for his role as an informant. However, Holland said that he was actually more concerned that reprisal could come from the government, since he has seen, first hand, the depth and scope of their machinations.

Patrick Carnes Disappearance

In the first half hour, undersheriff Curtiss Kull provided an update on the mysterious disappearance of Patrick Carnes. He noted that, following his previous appearance on Coast, it took two and a half weeks to sort through all of the tips that came in from listeners. While some of the information shed light on potential new leads in the case, he said, Carnes' disappearance remains a mystery. Conceding that the length of time since the man vanished suggests a potentially grim outcome, Kull was optimistic that there could still be a potential break in the case. In light of the high traffic area where Carnes disappeared, Kull surmised that "somebody drove by and saw something that is the key to this entire case."

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