An update on the story of the neo-Nazis who were arrested last October for plotting a crime spree that would have ended with assassinating the president: Cowart’s grandfather testifies in federal court.

The grandfather of Daniel Cowart testified today that when he saw a sawed-off shotgun, duck tape and nylon rope in his upstairs he believed his life might be in danger.

“I almost got sick to my stomach, I was so scared,” Clark Cowart testified in federal court Friday morning. “I thought they really were planning to do it.”

According to testimony given in court yesterday, authorities originally believed Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, and 18-year-old Paul Schlesselman of Helena-West Helena, Ark., were planning a possible attempt to rob and kill Clark and Judy Cowart.

Cowart and Schlesselman were later charged with planning a crime spree that would have involved killing 88 people and decapitating 14 blacks. The spree would have ended with an attempt to kill President Barack Obama. They were arrested Oct. 22 and have been held without bond since then.

Cowart and Schlesselman contend that much of the government’s evidence against them should be thrown out because it was obtained illegally, and authorities had no basis to arrest them.

U.S. Dist. Judge J. Daniel Breen is hearing arguments on those claims and will issue a written ruling after the hearing.

Anyone think stories like this might have something to do with the Department of Homeland Security being concerned about right wing extremism?