An indictment returned Wednesday by a grand jury in New Mexico charged James Christopher Benvie, 44, of Albany, Minn., with two counts of false impersonation of a U.S. officer or employee, federal prosecutors said in a news release Friday. He faces up to three years in prison if convicted.
Benvie made an initial appearance in federal court Friday in Oklahoma, after the FBI arrested him in Guthrie, Okla., prosecutors said.
Benvie was a spokesman for a group called the United Constitutional Patriots before becoming a spokesman for a splinter group called the Guardian Patriots. United Constitutional Patriots made frequent social media posts showing masked men in combat fatigues chasing migrants and ordering them to stay put until U.S. Border Patrol agents arrive.
Videos he posted include one in March under the heading "Detained a man with a baby!" As an agent arrived, Benvie said, "The border is overrun. We're being invaded."
In Oklahoma, Benvie was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and attempting to obtain money by false pretenses.