Group leader arrested by federal and state authorities and other suspected extremists in western Maryland. Their leader, a former NASA employee, was linked to multiple violent crimes.
Maryland State Police captured Jack Amadeus LaSota, 34, Michelle Jacqueline Zajko, 32, and Daniel Arthur Blank, 26, on Feb. 16 near Frostburg.
LaSota, also known as “Ziz,” and Zajko carried firearms when arrested on private property along Piney Mountain Road.
At-large Trantifa terror cult leader Jack “Andrea” “Ziz” LaSota and his co-member Michelle J. Zajko have finally been arrested.
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) February 17, 2025
They were caught in Allegany County, Md. overnight on Feb. 16. Both of them were armed. pic.twitter.com/4r6G9S2STN
Investigation Spans Multiple States
Journalist Andy Ngo from The Post Millennial (TPM) reported that the case involves six deaths. A deadly shootout with U.S. Border Patrol in Vermont is among them.
LaSota, who allegedly faked his death in 2022, escaped authorities twice before this arrest.
Allegany County Detention Center operations director Elizabeth Shoemake confirmed police arrested them for “suspicious activity” rather than existing warrants.
However, LaSota has outstanding warrants in California and Pennsylvania.In 2023, a judge reduced his bail from $500,000 to $10,000 in a double homicide case, leading to his release.
Group’s Violent Crimes Stretch Across the U.S.
The New York Post reported that their criminal activities extend from California to Vermont. Authorities are investigating Zajko for her parents’ execution-style murders in Pennsylvania on New Year’s Eve 2022.
After their deaths and her grandmother’s passing, she became the sole inheritor of significant family wealth.
Ngo revealed that LaSota, Zajko, Felix “Ophelia” Bauckholt, and Teresa “Milo” Youngblut rented Airbnbs in Chatham County, North Carolina.
Bauckholt, a German national, died during the Vermont shootout. Youngblut’s husband, Maximilian Bentley Snyder, faces murder charges in California.Snyder allegedly killed 82-year-old Curtis Lind, a key witness set to testify against two of their group members.
Suspects Had Unusual Backgrounds
Zajko, a Temple University graduate, once worked as a children’s book illustrator and neurobehavioral researcher in Philadelphia.
Ngo stated that firearms used in the Vermont shootout were registered under her name. LaSota, originally from Fairbanks, Alaska, built a following by writing about anarchist politics, rationalism, and transhumanism.
His ideology encouraged people to cut ties with family before joining his communes.
FBI Confirms Involvement
“The FBI is coordinating with Maryland State Police after the arrests in Allegany County,” an official statement confirmed.
The agency continues investigating the attack on U.S. Border Patrol Agent Maland.
Criminal Charges and Court Date
The suspects face charges for trespassing, firearm offenses, and obstruction.
Zajko also faces additional charges for resisting arrest.
Their first court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 18 at Allegany County District Court.
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