MELBOURNE, Fla. – Acting on a warrant issued by the Rock Hill, South Carolina Police Department, the Brevard County Sheriff’s fugitive unit arrested Augustus Sol Invictus, 36, on charges of kidnapping, “high and aggravated” domestic violence and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Invictus’ arrest was first reported by which has since corrected its error.
According to records of the complaint filed with the Rock Hill police department, Invictus held a gun to his wife’s head in the presence of their children and forced them to travel with him to Jacksonville, Fla. While in Florida, she managed to get away from him and escape back to Rock Hill, S.C. with the children. The complaint dates the report as being taken on December 22, 2019, at 8.00 pm.
The fugitive warrant was filed on December 30 by the State of Florida and heard before the Circuit Court of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit in Brevard County on December 31, 2019, and classified as a third-degree felony. The defendant signed off on a waiver of extradition.
Born Austin Gillespie in 1983, he legally changed his name to Augustus Sol Invictus in 2006. Invictus made a bid for the U.S. Senate seat in Florida as a Libertarian in 2015 and was soundly defeated in 2016 primary by Paul Stanton by a margin of 50% of the vote.
His 2016 senate campaign made national headlines after he made statements about sacrificing a goat and consuming its blood. Invictus also publicly identifies as a Pagan, and had been a member of the Ordo Templi Orientis but was allegedly removed from their rolls after he published a video of him sacrificing the goat in 2013.
In 2017, Invictus was one of the featured speakers at the white supremacist, “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va. that erupted in violence and resulted in the death of Heather Heyer. He also changed his party affiliation from Libertarian to Republican around the same time.
In August of 2019, he announced his intent to run for president and formally launched his campaign website which has since been taken offline, contained his platform of “The Nine Articles,” and his “Articles of Reconstitution.”
The “Articles of Reconstitution” contained language linked to a white supremacist agenda:
13. Territorial reparations paid to all living descendants of slavery that took place on U.S. soil. The territory shall not be landlocked and shall be a large enough body of land to sustain the new settler population. The newly established territory shall no longer be a part of the United States or subject to its laws or protections. Moreover, reparations will be paid to said descendants with the $3 billion per year presently paid to Israel in foreign aid.
14. Repeal of the 14th Amendment.
15. Repeal of the 15th Amendment.
16. Repeal of the 19th Amendment. Only white male citizens have the right to vote. Furthermore, only white male citizens are eligible to own real property within the country.
17. Repeal of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Invictus’ recent arrest is not the first time allegations of violence and assault have been leveled against him.
In 2014, Invictus allegedly pointed a gun at his then-roommate according to a police report filed, and in 2016 one of his former girlfriends who remains unidentified filed a police report and told an Orlando officer that Invictus told a mutual friend he intended to burn all of her possessions and “shoot her on the spot.” Her allegations included various episodes of physical violence and abuse during their 15-month relationship.
Another case centered around an Altamonte Springs, Fla., high school senior he met in 2015, and later became involved with. The unidentified young woman made allegations of assault that culminated with him punching her in the spine and then had sex with her while she was essentially incapacitated.
Despite the police recommending charges of domestic battery by strangulation and aggravated battery be filed against Invictus in July of 2017, none were ever filed. According to the State Attorney’s office, the witness failed to respond to two written requests to meet with a prosecutor, leaving them with not enough evidence to file formal charges against Invictus.
Invictus had threatened to file defamation suits against his accuser, and one of her friends, Alexandria Brown, who corroborated her testimony if they did not sign a retraction of their allegations.
Brown ultimately ended up signing a retraction, since she had not witnessed the actual assault. She later expressed regret over doing so, but both the unidentified accuser and Brown cited Invictus’ connections to white supremacy and their fear of retaliation.
The Southern Poverty Law Center identifies Invictus as a right-wing extremist who promotes an ideology of antisemitism, white supremacy, and neo-fascism.
Invictus is being held without bond by Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. His court hearing is scheduled for January 15.
TWH will continue to follow this story.
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