FBI Informant organized neo-Nazi rally in Orlando, Florida

SENTINEL EXCLUSIVE
Neo-Nazi rally was organized by FBI informant

Henry Pierson Curtis | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted February 15, 2007

A paid FBI informant was the man behind a neo-Nazi march through the streets of Parramore that stirred up anxiety in Orlando's black community and fears of racial unrest that triggered a major police mobilization.

That revelation came Wednesday in an unrelated federal court hearing and has prompted outrage from black leaders, some of whom demanded an investigation into whether the February 2006 march was, itself, an event staged by law-enforcement agencies.

The FBI would not comment on what it knew about the involvement of its informant, 39-year-old David Gletty of Orlando, in the neo-Nazi event. In court Wednesday, an FBI agent said the bureau has paid its informant at least $20,000 during the past two years.

"Wow," Gletty said when reached by phone late Wednesday. "It is what it is. You were there in court. I can't really go into any detail now."

Orlando City Councilwoman Daisy Lynum, whose district includes the march route west of Interstate 4, said she wants to know who was behind the march, the neo-Nazis or the FBI and other law-enforcement agencies.

"If it was staged, I would feel very uncomfortable and would ask for a full-scale investigation," Lynum said. "To come into a predominantly black community which could have resulted in great harm to the black community? I would hate to be part of a game. It's a mockery to the community for someone else to be playing a game with the community."

Others applauded the FBI's infiltration of the neo-Nazis.

"It's one of the largest extremist groups in the country, and Gletty was one of the most visible individuals in the National Socialist Movement," said Andy Rosenkranz, state regional director for the Anti-Defamation League. "Generally, the FBI and the JTTF (Joint Terrorism Task Force) in Florida does an excellent job."

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Slip-up lets name out of bag

Throughout most of the hearing, Gletty was referred to as "Mr. X" or "CW" (cooperating witness). His identity was revealed when Assistant Federal Public Defender Peter W. Kenny repeatedly slipped up and mentioned Gletty's full name.

FBI agent Kevin Farrington and a federal prosecutor were clearly uncomfortable with the disclosure of the informant's name in open court.

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National Socialist Movement. As its rivals collapsed in factional infighting, the
National Socialist Movement became by default the largest neo-Nazi group in the
country. It has been active in Florida, where in February 2006 it held a public march
in Orlando organized by the unit leader, David Gletty, who also led paramilitary
trainings in the Ocala National Forest. Gletty resigned from the National Socialist
Movement in September 2006 but reportedly still organizes militia-style trainings.
...

National Socialist Movement (NSM). With contact points throughout the
United States, the National Socialist Movement, led by Jeff Schoep from
Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a rapidly growing neo-Nazi organization that
especially attracts younger people. Capitalizing on the struggles of the National
Alliance and National Vanguard, the NSM in 2006 became the largest
and most organized neo-Nazi group in the country and organized roughly a
dozen rallies throughout the United States. In Orlando, David Gletty organized
about 30 neo-Nazi members and supporters of the NSM to rally in March 2006.
In May 2006, Gletty held a white supremacist gathering at his property. The event
was attended by several NSM members including Michael “Von Bluvens” Blevins,
as well as Hammerskins, Klansmen and adherents of the racist and anti-Semitic
Christian Identity religious sect. About 40 people were in attendance.
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THE DARK SIDE OF THE SUNSHINE STATE: EXTREMISM IN FLORIDA
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Palm City resident Burt Colucci once led an NSM unit based in Lakeland and also
served as the Grand Dragon of Florida for the National Knights of the Ku Klux Klan
a couple of years ago, but as of 2006, his current status in the NSM is unclear.
In March 2005, the Miami Herald-Tribune reported that county officials inspecting a
small Sarasota daycare center also discovered the building was home to a high
profile white supremacist and NSM member, Michael Herbert Blevins, who hosts a
racist radio show and operates a racist Web site, www.vonbluvens.org. Officials said
there were no health hazards to the daycare center, operated primarily by Blevins’
wife, and that Blevins’right to free speech prohibited them from acting against the
center. According to state records, Blevins, who completed the required 3-hour
training program for day-care center employees (or owners), was listed as qualified
to substitute in the absence of his wife; his name was removed after the news
reports surfaced.
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