Members of the Zizians Granted Joint Trial Preparation in Allegany County
In a recent court decision in Cumberland, Maryland, three individuals associated with a controversial group known as the Zizians have been authorized to collaborate on their defense strategy. The group, linked to multiple deaths across the United States, faces charges of trespassing, weapons violations, and drug-related offenses. Jack LaSota, Michelle Zajko, and Daniel Blank, the defendants in this case, are part of a collective of computer scientists with unorthodox views on veganism, gender identity, and artificial intelligence.
Jack LaSota, who identifies as a transgender woman and is referred to as Ziz, has been singled out by authorities as the leader of this so-called “extremist group.” The Zizians have been implicated in a series of violent incidents since 2022, including the death of a fellow member during a California landlord confrontation, the subsequent murder of the landlord, the deaths of Zajko’s parents in Pennsylvania, and a fatal shootout in Vermont involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent.
The trio was apprehended in February when a property owner in Frostburg, Maryland, discovered them residing in box trucks on his land. Zajko faces separate charges in Vermont for allegedly falsifying information on a firearm purchase that was used in the fatal shooting of Border Patrol agent David Maland in January 2025. Meanwhile, LaSota is under federal indictment for being a fugitive in possession of a firearm.
During a courthouse appearance, LaSota criticized the prosecution, claiming that they were being coerced into plea agreements and accused the authorities of “violating our speedy trial rights.” Originally scheduled to address motions to dismiss charges, Friday’s hearing was rescheduled to January 30 to discuss the defendants’ trial logistics, particularly after Zajko expressed a desire to replace her attorney.
Judge Michael Twigg of the Allegany County Circuit Court granted the defendants permission to coordinate their defense efforts. Until now, LaSota and Blank had been allowed to communicate, but Zajko had been isolated under what she described as “absurdly difficult circumstances.”
The prosecutor raised concerns about the defendants communicating unlawfully, to which LaSota retorted, “In the car ride here!” LaSota emphasized the need for private communication, stating, “We should be able to talk to each other without being recorded and without fear of our notes being intercepted.” Zajko added, “We’re adults. We have work to do, and we want to do our work.”
In Vermont, the legal proceedings continue as the state seeks the death penalty against Zizians member Teresa Youngblut, who faces murder charges related to the Vermont shootout. Despite initially facing lesser charges, the Trump administration’s push for increased federal executions has led to more severe charges against Youngblut.
Authorities had been monitoring Youngblut and her associate, Felix Bauckholt, following a hotel employee’s report of them carrying weapons and wearing tactical gear. During a subsequent traffic stop on Interstate 91, Youngblut allegedly opened fire on border agents, resulting in Bauckholt’s death and her wounding.
Other members of the Zizians are set for trial concerning the 2022 California landlord attack. Zajko remains a person of interest in her parents’ deaths, and another group member is accused of the landlord’s murder days before the Vermont incident.
