Update: 1/31/2025; This article was updated after publication with additional information from legal documents provided to Task & Purpose.
A 31-year-old former Army sergeant was arrested on June 2, 2020, after allegedly dressing up as a National Guardsman during protests in Los Angeles before actual Guardsmen noticed.
Gregory Wong, of Gardena, California, was seen in military garb carrying an assault rifle when he was approached by Los Angeles Police Department officers and subsequently arrested at 1:30 a.m., an LAPD official said, after officers were alerted by members of the National Guard.
“He was charged with transportation of an assault weapon,” said Norma Eisenman, a police spokeswoman. “It does not appear that he was a threat to the public.”
Wong, who police said was also carrying a pistol, told officers that he was heading downtown to provide security at a friend’s establishment. Wong arrived at the protest in a civilian sedan, said Eisenman, who declined to provide further information.
Wong was released the following day after posting $50,000 bond, jail records show.
Following his arrest, Wong received 12 months of probation. The rifle he was carrying at the time was confiscated and destroyed, but a pistol, holster, and a pair of night vision goggles he had on him were returned, legal documents provided to Task & Purpose show.
Though some news outlets reported that Wong was a former member of the National Guard, Army service records provided to Task & Purpose show Wong served on active duty in the Army from January 2008 to January 2014, achieving the rank of sergeant. After his discharge, he served in the Army Reserve until July 2019.
Wong served as an information technology specialist (25B) and never deployed, according to Army records. His awards and decorations include two Army commendation medals, five Army achievement medals, a good conduct medal, overseas service ribbon, and the parachutist badge.
He served in the 82nd Airborne Division as well as the 78th and 112th Signal Battalions, according to his website and Army records.
Wong, a popular airsofter and military reenactor who goes by the handle “spartan117gw” on YouTube and Instagram, has amassed more than 140,000 fans by sharing videos related to airsoft training and military gear.
Wong also seems to be involved in the film industry. On his Twitter account, which has since been taken down, Wong posted photos of himself alongside actor Jon Bernthal during filming for the video game Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint. On his website, Wong said he was involved with that and other commercial projects.
Thousands of National Guard troops deployed throughout the state of California in response to widespread protests over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, while in the custody of police in Minneapolis.