DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – An Arizona man suspected of being affiliated with a Black militia group who said on Instagram he planned to “cause hell” at the Daytona Beach Police Department was arrested on weapons charges in Daytona Beach, according to his arrest affidavit.
Kentay Thomas, 31, was arrested Wednesday following an investigation prompted by an anonymous tip made June 27. According to police, the caller said they came across an Instagram post from a user called “The_Mighty_Sprite” who said they were on their way to Daytona to “cause hell” at the police department. The caller also identified Thomas as the person behind the post, according to the arrest report.
Detectives wrote they began investigating the account and determined Thomas was affiliated with the New Black Panther Party and the NFAC, also known as the Not (expletive) Around Coalition. The NFAC is an all-Black paramilitary group based out of Atlanta with members around the nation. A man accused of shooting and critically injuring a Daytona Beach police officer was also previously affiliated with the NFAC.
On July 5, Thomas posted again to social media that he was in Daytona Beach and traveled with firearms. Authorities determined he arrived from Arizona to the Daytona Beach International Airport on July 4 with a checked firearm case.
Detectives said Thomas continued to post to social media showing a handgun, an assault rifle and a tactile vest to conceal his weapons. In one post, Thomas wrote he was “ready for all the smoke,” a phrase that refers to someone who is “ready to battle,” according to the report.
Arizona Concealed Weapons Unit officials confirmed to Daytona Beach that Thomas does not have a concealed weapons license after it was suspended in September 2019.
After conducting surveillance on Thomas at a Winghouse on West International Speedway Boulevard, detectives said they could see an imprint of a handgun in his waistband.
Detectives arrested Thomas on Wednesday on charges of carrying a concealed firearm.
News 6 reached out to the NFAC regarding Thomas’ arrest and a statement from the group said he has never been a member of the group.
“We don’t recognize his picture and he does not appear in any past photos of NFAC activities. We are concerned that the DBPD keeps publicly associating these individuals with our organization without contacting us beforehand,” the statement said.