The Mountaineer Militia is a right-wing militia group based in West Virginia which, in the mid-1990s, plotted to blow up federal buildings during an 'inevitable moment of confrontation' with the federal government. The leader of the Mountaineer Militia, Floyd Raymond Looker, became a vocal defendant of militias on a national scale before being arrested for organizing a plot against an FBI building in West Virginia. <p><br />Initially, Looker and members of his militia were focused on protecting their constitutional rights. "Our common belief is that the U.S. government already has taken away many of our constitutional rights," Looker said. "And without the Constitution, we the people have nothing to protect ourselves against a government run amok, other than our guns." However, over time, Looker became more and more paranoid and radical. He became convinced that the government was dedicated to stripping Americans of their rights and staging a full takeover of the country, putting dissenters in concentration camps.<p> <br />Like many militiamen, Looker believed that there would come a moment where they would be forced to face off with the government to protect their rights as citizens. Unlike most militiamen, Looker planned extensively for this moment. The main portion of his plan was the destruction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Identification Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia, a fingerprinting facility. Looker believed the government was using this facility to spy on all Americans, so he began plotting to blow it up. He and members of his group obtained blueprints of the building and began to stockpile an impressive amount of explosives  --  both made and acquired.<p> <br />As Looker became increasingly convinced of the evil of the federal government, he became less willing to wait until the "moment of confrontation" to do harm. Instead, when approached by a FBI agent posing as a middle man wanting to sell explosives or intelligence to terrorists from the Middle East, Looker jumped at the opportunity. He saw it as a way to make money while ensuring that his plan would be put to action.<p> <br />With the help of an FBI informant within the group, the FBI built a solid case against a number of members of the Mountaineer Militia, including Looker. The agent posing as the middle man completed the purchase of the blueprints; Looker was arrested immediately after on charges of conspiring to provide material support and resources with the intent to use them in the preparation for committing an injury or depredation against the FBI fingerprinting facility; conspiring to manufacture and deal in explosive materials; and transporting explosives across state lines. Looker was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 1997.<p><br />Six other militiamen were also arrested on charges of conspiracy and transportation of explosives across state lines. Four were convicted or pled guilty, and two were acquitted. One of the men was named James Johnson, sharing the name of well-known Ohio militia leader James "J.J." Johnson. This had led to the incorrect linkage of the Mountaineer Militia and J.J. Johnson's Ohio Unorganized Militia. There is, in fact, no connection between the groups. <p><br />The federal government has insisted that it did not investigate or arrest any of these men because of their associations with militia groups, which are entirely legal. Instead, they were arrested for plotting to destroy a federal building. Department of Justice officials have said there is no distinction in the law for a group plotting to destroy a federal building in response to some perceived injustice or attack.