Mark Sargent

Mark Kendall Sargent (born 1968) is an American conspiracy theorist, who is one of the leading proponents of, and recruiters for, the discredited flat Earth conspiracy theory in the United States. According to critics, his YouTube videos have greatly accelerated the popularization of modern flat Earth belief, one without scientific merit.

Early life Mark Sargent was born and raised on the South End of Whidbey Island, Washington. After graduating high school, he attended Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington for three years before he was "kicked out" for manufacturing and selling illegal fireworks. In the 1994, he won a Crystal Caliburn video pinball game competition and was hired to test other video games for its publisher, StarPlay Productions, in Colorado. He then worked at other local software companies training people in proprietary software until 2014. He has no formal education in computer science, physical science, or natural science. In 2015, he posted “Flat Earth Clues” on YouTube and was invited by Truth Frequency Radio based in Denver to host a weekly radio show, “Strange World”. In 2017 he moved back to Whidbey Island where he currently resides.

Flat Earth beliefs and influence

In 2015, Sargent released a series of videos he created on YouTube called Flat Earth Clues, which questioned the accepted shape of the Earth. The series attracted two million views, propelling the rise of the modern flat Earth movement.

Sargent works to convince others that the Earth is a flat disk, with a giant wall of ice around the circumference. An indestructible dome is claimed to be attached to the rim, making it a closed system. He claims that stars and planets are not physical places but simply lights attached to the dome. Sargent states that all world governments have been lying about the shape of the planet, and that NASA faked the Apollo program as well as all other space exploration programs.

An article in The New Yorker explained how Sargent's video series was instrumental in converting people to his viewpoint. It reported that Darryle Marble, who would later be a featured speaker at the first-ever Flat Earth Conference:

Sargent says that being single was a contributing factor to his discovering and believing in the flat Earth conspiracy. He said, "Most people get married and have kids. But if you don't, you have a huge amount of free time on your hands".

Sargent has been a speaker at numerous flat Earth events in the United States, Canada and New Zealand. He describes himself as a recruiter for the movement, and has been called its main organizer by media including the Los Angeles Times. He was extensively interviewed for the 2018 documentary Behind the Curve, a Netflix documentary about the flat Earth community. He also expounded on his views in a self-published book titled Flat Earth Clues: The Sky's The Limit in 2016.

Critics consider the flat Earth beliefs promoted by Sargent pseudoscience, inconsistent with all empirical evidence. They have been attributed to "conspiracy mentality", reliance on religious belief, distrust of authority, science denial, or a fallacious, although pro-science, interpretation of the scientific method.

Sargent also incorporates other conspiracy theories into his flat Earth beliefs, accusing astronauts of being Freemasons. Sargent also believes Bigfoot exists.

Manufacturing and Selling of Illegal Fireworks In Episode 1 of his radio show, "Strange World", Sargent described how he ran an illegal fireworks ring as a college student at Western Washington University from October 1989 to September 1990. Sargent was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), indicted by a grand jury, and he pled guilty to two felonies: the manufacturing of explosive devices without a license, and the dealing in or selling of explosive devices without a license.

The making and selling of illegal firecrackers or fireworks is a "high-risk operation with promise of outrageous profits." For example, in 1990, an M-1000 firecracker (4-inches long by 1.25-inches diameter) contained 10 cents of material but could be sold for $5, and "has the explosive force of a half-stick of dynamite." According to one ATF special agent, "With so much money to be made, illegal fireworks rings start to cut corners, rush jobs, and do things that may cost one or two lives but that doesn't appear to be slowing anybody down." As a result, illegal fireworks cause severe injuries, "the kind of injuries physicians hope never to see outside combat zones," with over 50% of victims being children under the age of 15.

Fireworks contain flash powder, an explosive that is extremely hazardous and poses a serious risk to human safety. Flash powder is very sensitive and "self-reactive" meaning that it can spontaneously explode due to movement, friction, heat, a spark, or moisture. Because manufacturers buy and store large quantities of flash powder, when it explodes, the blast can affect an area of several blocks. The safe detonation of flash powder is conducted on a military artillery range and "a demonstration blast of 800 pounds created a hole about 10 feet deep and 25 feet wide, produced a red ball of flame the size of a house, and the concussion rippled the clothing of reporters three-quarters of a mile away."

In 1989, Sargent had a single-purchase permit to legally make personal-use fireworks for a July 4th fireworks show that he put on for his mother's neighbors at Useless Bay (Washington). When Sargent returned to Western Washington University for the Fall semester, it occurred to him that he could manufacture and sell a large number of firecrackers to firework stands for a substantial profit. However, Sargent did not obtain a license to manufacture fireworks for public sale and use, which would involve passing an exam and paying an annual fee ($2,000 in 2026 dollars).

In preparation for Fourth of July 1990, between October 1989 and April 1990 Sargent ordered approximately 1,000 pounds of precursor explosive chemicals, six miles of fuse, and 40,000 tubes by sending several companies an altered photocopy of his single-purchase permit along with cash payment in full. Sargent hired his roommate as his "right-hand man" and, through his job as the food service student manager, he hired student workers to perform piece work (i.e., cut fuse, drill holes in cardboard tubes) while Sargent completed the final stages of assembly (e.g., fill the tube with explosive chemicals) at his mother's house. With the help of his college girlfriend who was Native American, Sargent sold his illegal explosives to firework stands on a nearby Indian Reservation.

Sargent ran his operation in the context of several local newsworthy incidents showing the danger illegal fireworks pose to the public, the legal consequences of manufacturing and distributing illegal fireworks, and police efforts to discourage the purchase and possession of illegal fireworks. For example, in June 1990, a 15-year-old boy went to Muckleshoot Indian Reservation near Auburn, Washington to purchase fireworks. The boy purchased what he thought was a smoke bomb, but it was a golf ball shell packed with flash powder. At home, the boy lit the device and the fuse burned quickly which frightened him. As he tried to stomp out the fuse, the device exploded throwing the boy 10 feet in the air and, when he landed, his left leg and foot were broken and his right foot was gone.

At some point, one of Sargent's student workers decided that he could run his own illegal fireworks operation in Puyallup, Washington. Along with manufacturing M-1000's and 8-inch firecrackers, he and Sargent competed to see who could make the largest firecracker with Sargent building an explosive device that was 48-inches by 12-inches diameter which he assembled in his mother's house.

After a profitable Fourth of July, Sargent prepared for the 1991 season. In August 1990 Sargent purchased more flash powder and other explosive chemicals. In September, ATF received a tip about Sargent's illegal firework ring, which led to ATF agents raiding his mother's home.

On September 19, 1990, "an undercover agent made a controlled delivery of 475 pounds of precursor explosive chemicals to an individual (Sargent) and his associate (Sargent's roommate) who had been under investigation for the manufacture and distribution of illegal explosive devices in Washington. After the delivery, agents surveilled (Sargent) as he transported the chemicals to another location. Consequently, the agents obtained a Federal search warrant for the building at this location and seized the chemicals. The agents also learned of the location of (Sargent’s) manufacturing laboratory for the devices. They obtained consent to search the laboratory as well as a storage facility leased by (Sargent). Pursuant to the searches, the agents seized 8,500 illegal explosive devices, 75,000 pyrotechnic tubes, 25 pounds of cut fuse, and other explosives manufacturing paraphernalia. The estimated street value of the explosives was in excess of $131,000."

On September 21, 1990, with news of Sargent's arrest, the student who decided to run his own illegal fireworks ring in Puyallup hurriedly disassembled the illegal fireworks they had made. While holding a firecracker in one hand, he used a metal screwdriver to punch a hole in the bottom of a tube and poured the flash powder into a bucket. During this process, the screwdriver created a spark which ignited the firecracker which ignited the bucket of flash powder. The explosion was "heard for blocks around." Sargent's former worker was in critical condition with burns on 50 percent of his body, and his girlfriend was in serious condition with burns on 30 percent of her body. Bomb squad was needed to safely remove the remaining explosives in the house.

September 25, 1990, Tuesday: At 7:00am in Useless Bay, an explosion caused damage to six houses. One homeowner said, "I looked up and there was a cloud of smoke that looked like a miniature atomic bomb" and the explosion "shook" his house breaking eight windows. Sheriff's department recovered fragments of Sargent's rocket and considered the explosion a serious crime which could have caused severe injury or death. Police had no suspects or motive and didn't connect the explosion to Sargent.