Reward doubled for fugitive in Atlanta ICE building attack
Ronald Scott Watson. Courtesy of FBI
ATLANTA - The FBI has doubled the reward for information that could help agents find a fugitive accused of taking part in a 2020 attack on a federal immigration building in downtown Atlanta.
What we know:
FBI Atlanta announced Wednesday that the reward in the search for Ronald Scott Watson has increased from $10,000 to $20,000.
Watson is wanted for his alleged involvement in the July 25, 2020, attack on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in downtown Atlanta.
Federal charges against Watson were unsealed in September 2025. He is charged with arson and destruction of government property. Watson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
What happened at the Atlanta ICE building
The backstory:
According to federal prosecutors, a crowd gathered outside the ICE building shortly before midnight on July 25, 2020.
Prosecutors say several masked people dressed in dark clothing breached fencing surrounding the building and vandalized the property.
Authorities say rocks, cinder blocks, modified fireworks, Molotov cocktails and bottles of lighter fluid were used during the attack, causing more than $78,000 in damage.
Investigators later found blood near a broken window and a bottle of lighter fluid near an unexploded Molotov cocktail inside the building.
How investigators identified Watson
Dig deeper:
Federal authorities say Watson was identified through evidence collected after his January 2023 felony conviction for assaulting a public safety officer in Oregon.
According to prosecutors, Watson had posted anti-ICE messages on social media before the Atlanta attack. Federal authorities also allege Watson wrote online about having previously thrown bricks and doxxed people as examples of "taking action."
A federal arrest warrant was issued for Watson in July 2025.
FBI says Watson may have changed appearance
The FBI says Watson has ties to Atlanta and Portland, Oregon. According to the agency's latest information, he may also frequent Montana, Wyoming, Washington and California.
Investigators say Watson may have changed his appearance and may be dressing in women's clothing.
The FBI's wanted information lists Watson under several aliases, including Sarah Watson, Miranda Kyle, Emily Smith and Victoria Watson. The FBI describes him as 5 feet 11 inches tall and about 134 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
The FBI also says Watson has distinctive tattoos, including a woman plowing and a fish skull fence on his left arm and three faces on his right arm.
Ronald Scott Watson
Reward increased to $20,000
What's next:
The FBI is now offering up to $20,000 for information in the case, doubling the $10,000 reward announced when the federal charges were unsealed in September 2025.
Anyone with information about Watson's whereabouts is asked to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online.