Posted on 06/20/2007 12:11:57 PM PDT by jazusamo
She'll spend the next 9 years in prison for her role in the 1998 torching of Two Elks Lodge in Vail. Now she's 'back on the right path.' The federal law enforcement agents were stymied.
For weeks they had been trying to break into computers and Palm Pilots confiscated from members of a radical environmental group known as The Family, a cell of the Earth Liberation Front.
The computers were believed to hold GPS coordinates for caches of weapons and other information vital to the criminal prosecutions of 11 associates of the shadowy organization.
But try as they might, the feds couldn't crack the sophisticated encryption code.
So they arranged a "field trip" for an inmate named Chelsea Gerlach.
Once one of the most senior members of The Family, highly respected by the others, Gerlach had been arrested for her role in 20 arsons across five states, including the 1998 torchings atop Vail Mountain.
At the time of her arrest, she was selling drugs in Portland with her boyfriend, another member of the radical environmental movement, prosecutors said.
After a few weeks in solitary confinement, and hours more of meditation, Gerlach had agreed to meet with prosecutors and federal agents.
The agents asked her for her help. She had long been angry and distrustful of the government, but on this day she was prepared to react differently. She was ready for a change.
Sitting down in a Portland computer forensics office, a series of computers and PDAs in front of her, Gerlach went to work.
It had been months and possibly years since she had tapped into the files, yet she recalled passwords in excess of a dozen numbers and letters.
Uncoded directions in hand, the agents, with lawyers and Gerlach in tow, drove to the Oregon coast.
(Excerpt) Read more at rockymountainnews.com ...
Gerlach Ping!
Thanks for the ping :
Around 2001, she started a romantic relationship with fellow environmentalist Darren Thurston, a longtime leader of the Animal Liberation Front, who had snuck across the border illegally from Canada.
They moved to San Francisco, renting an apartment under a false name, and started selling marijuana to make money, prosecutors said. When they grew worried about getting caught, they moved to Portland, again using assumed names. They sold ecstasy, illegal mushrooms and LSD...
There are many of these fire bugs out there.
It will not be that long before she will be out.
“She’s back.”
Yep, I’m a little skeptical of how sorry she is about the violence. I think she might be sorrier she got caught but maybe not. Hopefully she really feels like she says she does.
Yeah, a few weeks in solitary can do that.
Exactly! The same thought came to mind. :-)
Sounds like she has turned on her green eco terrorist buddies.
Yes, she made a real adjustment. She had the closest ties to Rodgers and I believe he was the the head guy. She was probably looking at life in prison and decided that really wasn’t what she wanted, hence she became sorry in a hurry.
Many of these Green Eco Terrorists are outdoor types, and years of jail time with no green trees to climb and protest evil loggers must be hell on earth for them.
Some of these guys are small time criminals who want to go big. Being violent against other people is ok with them...unless you fight back, then they back off.
They like arson because the victim will be terrorized and the victim can not immediately defend themselves.
Some also want to be famous for their work and some are bullies. Their names pop up from time to time dealing drugs, stealing credit cards, stealing anything loose, id theft cases...
You’re right, Dave. I took particular notice of Gerlach’s reaction in the article to her being back in the woods when pointing out the firearms. She’s got nine years ahead of her to think about just how much she misses that environment. I’m sure some of the others will be thinking about that too.
Agree, George. Not only are most arsonists cowards but they have psych issues too. Rodgers and Gerlach both fit the profile and some of the others probably do too but like you say, some are just small time thugs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.