Posted on 11/21/2025 1:44:34 PM PST by simpson96
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Virginia Beach high school assistant principal is one of two men accused of threatening violence against law enforcement, including local police officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Virginia Beach police said John W. Bennett, 54, and Mark B. Bennett, 59, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit malicious wounding.
John Bennett is employed as an assistant principal at Kempsville High School. A spokesperson for Virginia Beach City Public Schools said he has worked for the division since 2009 and is currently on leave.
He was arrested in Virginia Beach at 10:47 a.m. Wednesday. On the same morning, Nov. 19, Mark Bennett was taken into custody at Norfolk International Airport at 9:42 a.m. with help from airport police.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Virginia Beach General District Court, an off-duty Norfolk police officer overheard the two brothers while dining inside a Pho restaurant on General Booth Boulevard on Nov. 15.
The officer reported hearing the men talk about ICE agents “kidnapping individuals” and said the conversation led him to believe the brothers “needed to do something about it.”
The complaint says the brothers discussed reuniting and that Mark Bennett said he planned to fly to Las Vegas to meet with “like-minded individuals” and return with “enforcement ideas and plans.”
Mark also allegedly said he had recently purchased an assault rifle because it could fire explosive rounds capable of penetrating body armor and claimed he wanted to “go hunting.” Investigators wrote that John Bennett expressed support during the conversation and showed interest in joining the Las Vegas trip.
The off-duty officer told investigators that Mark Bennett disclosed he had purchased a plane ticket for Nov. 19. Detectives later confirmed the booking.
Thursday afternoon, family members of the Bennett brothers gathered in the courthouse awaiting a bond hearing.
During the hearing, the co-defendant's attorneys argued the conversation overheard by the off-duty officer was hearsay, and the brothers posed no threat to the community.
According to the defense attorneys, Mark Bennett was traveling to Las Vegas for a Formula 1 race with his two sons before he was taken into custody at Norfolk International Airport.
John Bennett's attorney confirmed his position as assistant principal at Kempsville High, and cited Mark, the older brother, was responsible for taking care of his 89-year-old mother.
Both were granted bond. Under pretrial supervision, Mark and John Bennett are to have no contact with each other, and they can't possess guns. They are on home confinement and can only leave with a judge's approval and GPS tracker.
Their preliminary hearing is set for January 23 at 8:30 a.m.
“These allegations of violence against law enforcement, the very ones who protect and serve our communities, are incredibly alarming,” said VBPD Chief Paul W. Neudigate. “We are grateful this information was brought to our attention. VBPD was able to work with various law enforcement agencies to assess the credibility of the information, leading to today’s arrests, ensuring the safety of both our law enforcement community and the public at large.”
The case is being handled by the VBPD Special Investigation Bureau. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the department at (757) 427-1749.
Virginia Beach City Public Schools said John Bennett has been employed since 2009 and the school does not comment on personal matters. They confirmed that Bennett is currently on leave from Kempsville High School.
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Hopefully a conservative can fill the slot.
Picture of Mental Illness
What happened to a reliably Republican Virginia Beach? The GOP went the way of the dodo there too? The military vote also went left?
Hopefully a conservative can fill the slot.
The question is, does a conservative want the job?
The commie bastards teaching our kids. String ‘em up!
The look when you realize you are completely screwed.
They both have that Norman Bates look. Not right in the head?
Very close in appearance to the inbred family members in West Virginia.
I would hope so. We need to infiltrate the institutions to bring them back, like liberals infiltrated them to destroy them.
Kinda look like that guy who tried to assassinate Trump at the golf course. Ryan Routh.
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