Onetime Vanguard America Member Gets Jail, Probation For Lying to FBI About It

Fred C. Arena was part of the organization that morphed into Patriot Front, so if they wanted people to see them, they are damn sure getting their wish!

PHILADELPHIA – A South Jersey man from Salem, NJ, and avowed member of the neo-fascist/white supremacist group Vanguard America was sentenced yesterday to 6 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release and probation for lying on his federal security clearance application in order to work at the Philadelphia Navy Yard where Top Secret activities take place.

Fred C. Arena, 42, was further charged with lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation as they sought to investigate him in their background check. A total of five counts of false information were made against him. 

His time served since last fall will be credited towards his 6 months of imprisonment. An approximate release date would be April 25, 2020.

Arena was accused of lying about his membership in Vanguard America. Arena was also accused of lying about not having property –his car– repossessed within the last 7 years. Arena was living in his car at the time of the prosecution. 

Vanguard America is one of several groups who participated in the tragic “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, VA on 2017. One of those that marched with them, James Fields later drove his car into a group of counter protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer. Fields is currently serving life in prison, while Vanguard America collapsed in the wake of the Charlottesville rally many members breaking away from the group to form Patriot Front, which recently was in the news for their march in Washington, DC last Saturday.

As a result of the prosecution for making false statements, along with his lack of a fixed home address, and, potential for extreme violence, he has been held in custody since last fall at the courthouse-adjacent federal detention center in Philadelphia. 

Arena had a considerable social media presence where he sought to communicate his messages through aliases that spanned Confederate military figures to the neo-Nazi numerical representation of “Heil Hitler” – 88. These presences were removed from the internet during the course of his prosecution. 

Arena claims he is not part of white supremacist “stuff anymore” and that he “just took it too far.”