[9][a] Ritzheimer first attracted national attention in May 2015 when he began pacing in front of a mosque near his residence in Phoenix, Arizona, wearing a T-shirt that had "Fuck Islam" imprinted on it.

[12] He later started a GoFundMe campaign to raise $10 million which would be used, he said, to either finance his life in hiding (he had earlier alleged "they're calling for lone wolves to come and behead me") or to challenge John McCain for United States Senate.

In the video, in which he appeared shirtless, Ritzheimer claimed "hackers have ruined my life", alleging that he was a victim of identity theft by persons who had publicly exposed his social security number and credit card information.

[14] By September, the group Oath Keepers reported they were in the process of expelling Ritzheimer from their organization after he suddenly announced detailed plans to "arrest" United States Senator Debbie Stabenow for treason.

In what The Oregonian described as a "tantrum", a YouTube video shot by Ritzheimer showed him pushing boxes of sex toys off a table inside one of the occupied buildings.

"[21] Ritzheimer operated an ecommerce website called Rogue Infidel, which sold T-shirts and bumper stickers emblazoned with "Fuck Islam" and other slogans.

He has been charged with a federal felony of conspiracy to impede officers of the U.S. from discharging their official duties through the use of force, intimidation, or threats—an offense attracting a sentence of up to ten years' imprisonment.