The New Sons of Liberty were a group of twenty middle-class men from Hastings, New York, who formed an anti-government militia. Members of the group included Phil Christie, its leader and a former court clerk; Matthew Brandt, Sr., a history professor and Christie's brother-in-law; Matthew Brandt, Jr., Brandt, Sr.'s son; Thomas Robbins, a hunting and fishing store owner; and Greg Kubie, a policeman. As a means to evoke their fraternity and membership, they decided to tattoo themselves with their logo: an eagle with the Latin epigram "audentes fortuna iuvat" ("fortune favors the brave"). They also had an online website.
Christie, Brandt, Sr., and Kubie concocted a plan to rob an armored car parked outside a New York City betting room. However, the heist went awry when the three engaged in a shootout with security guards: Brandt was gunned down, while Kubie was left severely wounded. Christie ended up killing one of the guards but managed to flee. The group was finally discovered and charged with conspiracy, murder and robbery. Eventually, the jury deadlocked because one of its members was sympathetic towards the New Sons' beliefs. Despite this, EADA Jack McCoy manifested his intention to retry the case. (L&O: "Nullification")
Members
- Phil Christie
- Matthew Brandt, Sr. (deceased)
- Matthew Brandt, Jr.
- Thomas Robbins
- Greg Kubie
- Lewis Cray
- Tony Lapella
- Al Goodman