By Jennifer Van Laar
Late last week it was reported that a member of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) stationed at Ft. Liberty (Bragg), North Carolina was under investigation after he shot and killed a 35-year-old Chechen man who was trespassing on his property. Since the original reports, some disturbing information about the deceased and the company he was allegedly contracting with has come out – and it’s got special forces families nationwide spooked.
Here’s a brief synopsis of what happened, courtesy of the Moore County Sheriff’s Department:
On the evening of May 3, 2024, at approximately 8:15 PM, Moore County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a report of trespassing at a residence along Dowd Road in Carthage, North Carolina. The caller indicated that an individual was observed taking photographs on the property and had become aggressive towards another resident outside their home.
Upon arrival, deputies discovered the body of 35-year-old Ramzan Daraev from Chicago, Illinois, who appeared to have sustained gunshot wounds. Daraev was found approximately 250 yards from the roadway, along a powerline on the residential property. Identification was not found on Daraev; however, his identity was later confirmed through family members and an international identification located in his vehicle.
Daraev was reported to have been working as a subcontractor for Utilities One, a company based in New Jersey, at the time of his death. Investigators are still working to verify his official employment status. At the time of the incident, Daraev was not in possession of any utility equipment, utility clothing, or identification. The incident has been reported to the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
There are quite a few red flags in just that initial story.
First, most utilities send some kind of notice to residents that there will be workers/subcontractors out in the field who might access their property. This is an especially good idea in rural North Carolina, and an even better idea in an area so close to Fort Bragg/Liberty, where so many Special Forces soldiers live. Apparently there was no such notification in this case.
Second, generally utilities workers, even if subcontractors, wear some kind of identifying gear and/or reflective vests. Daraev was found 250 yards (more than the length of two football fields) from the roadway and along a power line, according to the MCSD. The Sandhills area of North Carolina (where Carthage is located) is extremely wooded and it’s strange that Daraev wasn’t at least be wearing a reflective vest, since that’s hunting country. It’s also interesting that MCSD doesn’t say what Daraev was wearing when he was shot. Was he wearing camouflage?
Third, the 911 call came in at 8:15, about 10 minutes after the official sunset time for that date for Carthage. How many legitimate utilities workers are out working at that time of night when it’s not an emergency? Further, how many legitimate utilities workers are out there working at that time of night without any equipment, utility clothing, or identification? And if he was legitimately there, why get “aggressive”?
On Thursday Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin reported additional details that are pretty disturbing but which also help to paint a clear picture of what’s going on.
Two Chechen men who spoke broken English were found near the soldier’s home. The family alleges the suspected intruder, 35-year-old Ramzan Daraev of Chicago was taking photos of their children. When confronted near a power line in a wooded part of the property, an altercation ensued and Daraev was shot several times at close range. A second man, Dzhankutov Adsalan, was in a vehicle some distance from the incident and was questioned by authorities and then released. The Moore County Sheriff’s office is leading the investigation.
The two Chechens had no personal identification. They did have two cell phones with Russian language contacts and camera equipment.
Since they spoke broken English it’s not surprising that the cell phones had Russian language contacts, but there is no reasonable explanation for someone who’s supposedly a fiberoptic utility installer taking photos of the soldier’s family.
Also, sources in the community tell RedState that “apparently the Colonel had his own cameras up and this was the 3rd or 4th visit” by Daraev and Adsalan and that there have been “a lot of suspect things in the area, family members [of special forces soldiers] followed, et cetera.” Footage from the Colonel’s cameras could shed a lot of light on what happened not just on May 3rd but also what happened on those other occasions, and if family members of other area soldiers have been followed recently, it’s understandable that the Colonel was on heightened alert.
On Friday, Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin reported that Daraev and Adsalan were in the country illegally and that “the phones collected at the scene have been taken to an Army base for analysis.” If I had to guess, I’d say that the base they were taken to is Fort Liberty.
