ATLANTA — The Federal Bureau of Investigation has doubled the reward being offered for information leading to the arrest of a man accused of taking part in a violent attack on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in downtown Atlanta.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The FBI announced Wednesday they are now offering up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest of Ronald Scott Watson, who is wanted on federal charges of arson and destruction of government property stemming from a July 2020 attack on the ICE facility.
The reward was previously set at $10,000 when charges against Watson were unsealed in September 2025.
According to the FBI, Watson participated in an attack on the downtown Atlanta ICE building on July 25, 2020. Authorities say a crowd gathered outside the facility shortly before midnight to protest while several masked individuals breached security fencing and vandalized the building.
Investigators said rioters used rocks, cinder blocks, modified fireworks, Molotov cocktails, lighter fluid bottles and other materials, causing more than $78,000 in damage.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Delta flight diverted after it plunged 27,000 feet over 10 minutes, oxygen masks deployed
- Argument between co-workers ends in murder-suicide
- Father charged with murder after 2-year-old found unresponsive
Law enforcement officers later found blood near a broken window and a lighter fluid bottle near an unexploded Molotov cocktail inside the building, according to court documents.
Authorities said Watson was identified through evidence collected following his January 2023 felony conviction for assaulting a public safety officer in Oregon.
Before the attack, officials say Watson posted anti-ICE messages on social media, including images depicting violence against ICE agents. Court documents also state Watson claimed online to have thrown bricks and engaged in other acts while “taking action.”
The FBI said Watson has ties to Atlanta and Portland, Oregon, and may also frequent Montana, Wyoming, Washington and California. Investigators believe Watson may have altered his appearance and could be dressing in women’s clothing.
Watson, who has also used the aliases Sarah Watson, Miranda Kyle and Emily Smith, remains a fugitive.
Anyone with information about Watson’s whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]