Man known as 'Asian Nazi' facing federal charges of illegal gun purchases

A federal judge unsealed the indictment of 24-year-old Heon Jong “Hank” Yoo of Tyler, Texas, who is popularly known as the “Asian Nazi,” on seven charges.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms arrested Yoo on April 9, but his case remained sealed until April 20. Parts of the case still remain under seal by order of a judge.

The gun charges stem from the purchase of seven guns in east Texas. On five occasions, between September 2016 and November 2016, federal prosecutors said, Yoo falsely represented himself as an American citizen and during two other purchases said he had a valid license to carry a handgun from the state of Texas.

Yoo, who has at least three prior arrests, remains in the Smith County, Texas, Jail.

YouTube hit

Yoo thrust himself into the public eye with YouTube videos of himself singing “Dixie” while wearing a replica of a Confederate soldier’s uniform and holding a sword and latching on to the alt-right’s fascination with Taylor Swift by in a video entitled “Sieg Heil Taylor Swift” which saw him singing along to the pop star’s songs.

Yoo’s YouTube channel has been taken offline, but videos and interviews with him can be easily found.

Taking his show into real life, Yoo went to the University of North Texas campus in Denton, Texas, in 2016 and waved a Confederate flag. He told the North Texas Daily the stunt was designed to rile up “as many liberals as possible.”

Yoo told the paper he was banned from four other universities because of his beliefs and “disagreeing and calling a feminist professor a ‘fat f---’.”

Yoo has also done multiple interviews that were recorded and posted to YouTube.

Yoo, a South Korea native, told the YouTube channel “PillEater,” run by Francis Nally who also runs the website www.asianaryanism.com, that the Civil War was the way “Jews coming into America.”

“And they ruined our God-damned country,” said Yoo who wore a black cowboy hat during the video.

During the hour-long interview, Yoo sounds a bit like talking points for the racist alt-right, championing white supremacy, denigrating Black Lives Matter and Jewish people, pushing the superiority of the United States, eugenics and genetics.

“I personally don’t think we should be mixing with any people of color,” Yoo said. “I don’t consider myself a caucasoid, but I do consider myself white.”

Yoo has identified himself as a supporter of President Donald Trump and backing his nationalist beliefs.

“This is damned serious. I’m an American. I was raised in America,” Yoo said in the PillEater interview. “I called my own f------ parents g---- and told them to get the f--- out of my country.”