The British newspaper The Guardian is reporting that the leader of a white supremacist group known as The Base is Rinaldo Nazzaro, 46, and that he was once a student at Villanova University, writes Jason Wilson for theguardian.com.

A 1994 photo in the Villanovan appears to show Rinaldo Nazzaro, described then as a junior in philosophy, the Guardian reported.

A source who has met Nazzaro under his alias “Norman Spear”   believes the 1994 photo is the same person he met.

A student named Ronald Nazzaro attended Villanova University from 1991 to 1994, but withdrew before graduating, according to a Villanova spokesperson speaking to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

A “Rinaldo Nazzaro” is also identified as a class of 1991 alumnus/donor of the Delbarton School.

The Guardian article revealed that “Norman Spear” is U.S.-born Rinaldo Nazzaro who has a history of advertising his services as an intelligence, military and security contractor.

He has claimed, under his alias, to have served in Russia and Afghanistan.

The white supremacist group the Base has been a recent target of FBI raids and its members accused of planning a race war.

Its members are accused of federal hate crimes, murder plots and firearms offenses, and have harbored international fugitives in recent months.

Read The Guardian’s entire investigation here.

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