By OPP Pittsburgh

Two weeks ago, OPP Pittsburgh broke the news on Aidan Harding’s neo nazi activity and hate group affiliation in Swastika Flag Waving Stunt Exposes Pittsburgh Patriot Front Members. After getting caught spray painting a white nationalist recruitment ad on a Pittsburgh area tunnel, Aidan and his buddy Noah Cron were given a seemingly generous plea deal in which they faced a small restitution fee to be split between them. This light beginning to legal troubles is not the end to Aidan’s woes. But it could have been.

Let’s begin with December 11, 2024 at 6:30 am. The Crescent Township Police assisted the FBI in executing a planned search warrant at Aidan’s residence on Glen Hayes Drive in Glenwillard. According to police, the FBI utilized S.W.A.T. and left quickly once the situation was deemed secure while officers and agents stayed to search the home. According to public records, the search warrant was issued for firearms, ammunition, knives, and proof of residency.

On January 16, 2025 Aidan was arrested by Allegheny County Police. He was arrested inside National Armory, a gun shop where he was followed by officers who had a warrant for his arrest. In the days that followed, he was charged with multiple serious offenses.

Public records show two initial misdemeanor charges on January 16th stemming from the December search warrant: Prohibited Acts-Possession and Prohibited Acts. These charges stem from 90g of marijuana and drug paraphernalia found at Aidan’s house during the execution of the search warrant. On January 17th, he was subsequently charged with Sale or Transfer of Firearms, which is a felony, and two misdemeanor counts of Falsification to Authorities. The next day, on January 18th, Aidan was charged with one final felony: Carrying a Firearm without a License.

The firearms and falsification charges appear to stem from Aidan purchasing an AR15 rifle on January 10th. In doing so he would have had to lie on the ATF background check form at the gun shop, namely the question asking: Are you an unlawful user of or addicted to marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug or any other controlled substance? This form includes a direct call out to purchasers: WARNING the use or possession of marijuana remains unlawful under federal law regardless of whether it has been legalized or decriminalized for medicinal or recreational purposes in the state where you reside. The details of the raid on Aidan’s house in December explain that various paraphernalia and multiple bags & containers of then suspected/now confirmed marijuana were found. Records also document that Aidan espoused the benefits of marijuana online over traditional medicine while using anti-semitic slurs.

When Aidan was arrested on the drug and firearms transfer/falsification charges he was in the possession of his AR15 rifle. His weapon was not loaded, but alas, he was not transporting it in accordance with PA law. Namely, his rifle was within reach and he had multiple magazines loaded with ammunition on his person and in the passenger side door of the car he was traveling in.

According to public records, Noah Cron was present during the 6:30 am raid on Aidan’s house and at his subsequent arrest. Noah was driving the car that Aidan was traveling and illegally transporting his firearm in.

In the days following the raid and seizure of property from his home, Aidan engaged in his normal white supremacist activity… he updated social media profiles to claim credit for neo nazi vandalism. While everyone is innocent until proven guilty, this paints a very bleak picture of Aidan. He purchased a rifle and drove around town with it illegally. One could deduce that not only did this young man fail to grasp the seriousness of his situation, but that he was escalating.

We can only speculate what his close friends and fellow Patriot Front, White Lives Matter PA and Order of The Black Sun members are up to. He is active in all of these groups while spending a lot of time, in person as well as virtually, with Noah Cron and Brandon Cahall. The timing of the raid on Aidan’s residence could indicate that authorities were already tracking him. It is rumored that various law enforcement personnel have infiltrated multiple groups that he is a member of. It is a longstanding fact that hate group members are known to “out” each other to law enforcement through plea bargains or simply because of internal disputes.

Make no mistake about it, Aidan Harding espouses neo nazi beliefs while being active in multiple white supremacist organizations. This is an ideology that is based on racial superiority and violence against all who they deem a threat. In our current political climate there is a striking similarity of blaming immigrants, LGBTQIA+, women, non “white” people for society’s problems instead of the corporate oligarchs who hold real power. Racists such as these only seek personal notoriety and don’t speak for the working class.

Anyone with information regarding white supremacist organizing and activity in the Western PA region can send tips to Keystone Anti-Racist Action [email protected].