Jack Lasota, 34, the alleged leader of a cult-like group known as the Zizians, was arrested in Maryland, along with another member of the group, Michelle Zajko, 33, of Media, Pennsylvania, The Associated Press reports.
Maryland State Police confirmed the arrests on Monday.
Lasota and Zajko face multiple charges, including trespassing, obstructing and hindering, and possession of a handgun in the vehicle. A bail hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Allegany District Court.
The Zizians are reportedly linked to a string of violent crimes, including the January killing of US Border Patrol Agent David Maland near the Canadian border in Vermont, as well as five other homicides in Vermont, Pennsylvania, and California.
Agent Maland, 44, was killed in a January 20th shootout following a traffic stop in Coventry, Vermont, a small town some 20 miles from the Canadian border.
Authorities have released limited details regarding the cross-country investigation that unfolded following Maland’s death. However, court records and online postings suggest that the Zizians are a group of young, highly intelligent computer scientists, mostly in their 20s and 30s, who met online and shared anarchist beliefs that escalated into violence.
The group’s specific goals remain unclear, but their online writings cover a range of topics, including radical veganism, gender identity, and artificial intelligence.
At the center of the group is “Ziz,” believed to be the leader and identified as Jack Lasota. Lasota allegedly published a dark and sometimes violent blog under the name Ziz, exploring themes such as the theory that the two hemispheres of the brain hold separate values and genders, and often desire to kill each other.
Lasota, who used she/her pronouns and in her writings identified as a transgender woman, frequently criticized perceived enemies, including rationalist groups that operate primarily online and focus on understanding human cognition through reason and knowledge. Some within these groups are concerned about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence.
Before her weekend arrest, Lasota missed court appearances in two states, leading to the issuance of bench warrants for her arrest. Reached on Monday, her attorney, Daniel McGarrigle, would only confirm that he has represented Lasota, but declined to comment on her arrest or any details of the current case. He also did not respond to questions about her potential connection to the homicides.
