Ohio man charged in alleged White House plot hires attorney who secured acquittal for Olympian’s brother charged in triple homicide
Newly released court documents reveal that Tycen Proper, the 19-year-old Danville man charged in connection with an alleged plot to attack a UFC event on the White House lawn, waived his right to a federal detention hearing on Wednesday.
He has also hired Joseph C. Patituce, a high-profile Cleveland-area criminal defense attorney.
According to court documents, Proper waived his right to a bail hearing, scheduled for 3 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Proper has agreed to remain in custody as his case moves forward and is subsequently being held without bond at the Franklin County Jail.
Shortly thereafter, Joseph C. Patituce notified the court on Wednesday that he would be taking over the case from public defender Rosana E. Brown.
Patituce, a founder of Patituce & Associates, LLC, is one of only about eight board-certified criminal trial lawyers in Ohio. A former Cuyahoga County assistant prosecutor with extensive trial experience, Patituce’s website says he is “a former prosecutor with insider knowledge.”
“In her mind, Tevin really did get away with murder.” Tevin Biles-Thomas, brother of Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles, faces a grieving mother in court in tonight’s new episode of #ChaosInCourt tonight at 10/9c on ID. pic.twitter.com/yyYPSlMePk
— Investigation Discovery (@DiscoveryID) January 19, 2022
“As the founder and managing partner of Patituce & Associates, he has built a reputation for taking on the cases others consider “unwinnable” and delivering results when the stakes are highest.
Patituce is also known for securing notable acquittals and landmark appellate victories, such as a mid-trial acquittal in a triple-murder case involving Tevin Biles-Thomas, the brother of Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.
Tycen Proper was not just some moronic kid living at home with his folks. He was apparently quite good at sciences in high school.
Social engineering is a very powerful tool, folks. pic.twitter.com/2VYftzNzat
— Dante (@DanteXXXIIGoD) June 17, 2026
A 2026 graduate of the Knox County Career Center, Proper lived with his parents in the rural Ohio area of Danville. Proper’s mother, who told authorities that she believed her son had become radicalized through online chat groups, alerted authorities, leading to his June 10 arrest.
The Justice Department announced today charges against five men for an alleged plot to carry out an attack to kill government officials and others attending the UFC Freedom 250 event held at the White House last Sunday.
“The FBI, our law enforcement partners and our U.S.… pic.twitter.com/nr8fKn6Pdr
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) June 16, 2026
According to federal charging documents, the arrest foiled a plot to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House lawn on Sunday. Authorities allege that he and others planned to use explosives and firearms targeting elected officials and wealthy “elites.”
Probable cause documents show that Proper chose targets based upon the “trackAIPAC” website, including U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
CRAZY: The FBI just unsealed a complaint against a 19-year-old accused of helping plan Sunday's White House UFC attack.
Per the affidavit, he picked congressional targets by who took "pro-Israel" money. He named Marsha Blackburn because she'd "taken money from the Israel pro… pic.twitter.com/um4yjM485f
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) June 16, 2026
Proper now faces multiple federal charges, including conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, attempted murder of a federal officer, and firearms violations.
Proper’s preliminary hearing remains set for June 29, with prosecutors scheduled to present evidence of probable cause before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
