Man reportedly spent two years infiltrating right-wing militias and rose to become a commander in Utah. Then one email exposed him as the mole

A wilderness survival instructor secretly spent more than two years infiltrating right-wing militia groups in the United States, according to a report by ProPublica. The man, who goes by the name John Williams, joined groups including American Patriots Three Percent (AP3) and the Oath Keepers without telling police, the FBI, his family, or his friends.

Williams eventually rose to become the top militia commander for AP3 in the state of Utah. He gathered recordings, chat logs, and documents that he later shared with ProPublica reporter Joshua Kaplan, giving an inside look at the militia movement.

His time undercover ended in April 2023, when he fled his home after realizing he had likely been exposed as an informant. He grabbed a prepared bag and lived out of his car for a period before disappearing into the desert.

An anonymous warning email led to his cover being blown

Williams first contacted Kaplan by sending an anonymous email to several reporters in late 2022. Kaplan was the only one who responded. Williams told him he had tried reaching out to media and civil rights groups for over a year without success. “I have been attempting to contact national media and civil rights groups for over a year and been ignored,” he wrote. “I’m tired of yelling into the void.”

Williams said he was motivated to go undercover after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot in the U.S. Capitol, which involved members of militia groups like the Oath Keepers. He believed democracy was under threat and decided to infiltrate the movement on his own, without coordinating with law enforcement. Some political figures have since raised concerns about how militia groups could gain influence under future policy decisions.

Williams worked his way up within AP3 after leading a paramilitary training session for the group in 2019. After Jan. 6, he began attending events more seriously and eventually became the group’s “intel officer” in Utah, a role responsible for protecting the group from outside scrutiny. He also gained access to the Oath Keepers through Bobby Kinch, a retired police detective who had become the group’s national director.

His downfall came after he tried to warn a journalist about a woman connected to AP3 leadership. In March 2023, Williams listened in on a call where the woman, from Virginia, discussed a local reporter she believed was targeting her. She said she needed to confront the situation directly. “I think I have to settle a score with this guy,” she reportedly said on the call.

Williams later sent the reporter an anonymous email warning him about the woman, describing her as armed and possibly dangerous. “Because she is a member of a right wing militia group and is heavily armed, I wanted to let you know,” he wrote. “I believe her to be severely mentally ill and I believe her to be dangerous. For my own safety, I cannot reveal more.”

The reporter published an article about the email the next day, including a screenshot of Williams’ note. Since only a small number of people had attended the call where the topic was discussed, Williams believed he would quickly be identified as the source of the leak. He left his home shortly afterward.

During his time undercover, Williams recorded conversations with senior militia leaders, including Kinch, who described violent episodes from his past and voiced support for using force. Williams also documented alleged ties between militia members and law enforcement officials in several states, including claims about contacts with a sheriff’s office in Utah. 

His findings add to a broader public debate over what allies of the former president may pursue next regarding the Jan. 6 riot and its aftermath. He also worked to prevent potential violence during real-world events. When protests broke out following the police killing of Tyre Nichols in early 2023, Williams sent false information to militia leaders in Utah to discourage them from showing up armed.

According to the report, Williams struggled with the psychological toll of his double life, including insomnia and physical illness, and considered warning police or journalists on multiple occasions when he believed people might be in danger.

After going into hiding, Williams eventually resurfaced and began working with ProPublica to publish parts of his story. He later published his own anonymous essay describing his role as an “independent activist” who had infiltrated AP3. The disclosure reportedly caused distrust within the group, with founder Scot Seddon writing in a private message, “It’s a f–king risky thing we get involved in. F–king trust nobody. There’s f–king turncoats everywhere.”

Williams has said he plans to release additional documents in the future, including material he believes could support legal cases against militia members and law enforcement officials connected to the movement.