Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Power-tower 'terrorist' arrested in California
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | November 2, 2003 6:14 p.m.

Posted on 11/02/2003 5:55:34 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin

The man sought by federal authorities for allegedly sabotaging electrical transmission lines in the West by removing tower bolts is now custody.

Michael Devlyn Poulin, 62, was arrested this morning in California when he was recognized by a state highway patrol officer, reports the Associated Press.

Poulin had apparently grown tired of being on the run, and was looking to turn himself in. He went to the CHP office in South Sacramento to seek directions to the FBI.

"I'm sort of getting a stiff neck from looking over my shoulder," Poulin told AP in a phone interview before his arrest.

He said he'd been trying to arrange his surrender for two weeks, but failed to do so because of too few specifics from authorities about his legal fate.

"The attorney general, because this covers any number of jurisdictions, refuses to tell me what I'm facing," Poulin told the wire service. "Because the threat of a terrorism charge hangs over me, I could end up in Guantanamo Bay."

As WorldNetDaily previously reported, an arrest warrant had been issued for Poulin charging him with destroying an energy facility, a federal crime carrying up to a 20-year prison sentence.

Since Oct. 20, a number of towers had been sabotaged in California and Oregon prompting federal alerts and concerns of terrorism.

Three of the locations were in the Oregon towns of Madras, McNary and Klamath Falls, with the other incidents in Sacramento and the northern California town of Anderson.

Poulin told the Associated Press he intended to turn himself into the FBI this afternoon after breakfast and goodbyes to family members.

A member of the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane, Wash., Poulin participated in anti-war rallies earlier this year.

While not admitting any guilt regarding the removal of bolts from the towers which could have caused them to topple, he said his actions were necessary to highlight vulnerabilities to the power infrastructure and its lack of security.

"We have a situation of one person, one wrench. The person in question is 62 years old, overweight, arthritic, diabetic, half-blind and a cancer patient living on a minimum of 12 medication pills a day," Poulin told AP, describing himself.

"If you sit back on your hands and do nothing, you've done nothing," he said. "I guess I'm trying to alert the public to the fact that you don't throw stones from glass houses."

WorldNetDaily reported in August and September about concerns the nation's power grid was vulnerable to terrorist acts, especially by cyber-attack.

The U.S. suffered its worst blackout in history on Aug. 14.

The record outage struck parts of the Northeast and Canada, affecting some 50 million people, including residents of New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut, Ottawa, Toronto, Cleveland and Detroit.

A London-based Arabic newspaper said the terrorist network al-Qaida took responsibility.

"What's puzzling," one terror expert told Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin last month, "is how these government officials rule out terrorism just minutes or hours after an outage hits, yet days and weeks later they still can't pinpoint the actual cause."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; US: California; US: Oregon; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: michaelpoulin; sabotage; transmissionlines
An interesting story.
1 posted on 11/02/2003 5:55:34 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin
It is an interesting story. I read in the local paper last week an interview with his wife, or ex-wife, and she said something about him being a very sensitive person, blah, blah, blah, upset about the unjust war in Iraq, and innocent people being killed - can't remember the exact words she used, but he sounds like a typical nutcase.
2 posted on 11/02/2003 6:04:26 PM PST by Theresawithanh (My governator can lick your governor! Can not!!! Can too!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin
Sacramento bump
3 posted on 11/02/2003 6:17:11 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin
He'll get 2 months in a funny farm, then released to do it again.
4 posted on 11/02/2003 7:16:05 PM PST by graycamel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: graycamel
He'll get 2 months in a funny farm, then released to do it again.

Off to Camarillo with him.

5 posted on 11/02/2003 7:24:36 PM PST by Texas Mom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin
A member of the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane, Wash., Poulin participated in anti-war rallies earlier this year.

That explains it.

6 posted on 11/02/2003 9:47:01 PM PST by ladyinred (Talk about a revolution, look at California!!! We dumped Davis!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin
It's all because his big brother got an erector set for Christmas and he didn't.
7 posted on 11/02/2003 9:51:24 PM PST by fire_eye (Don't kill liberals - Just make them wish you would.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Texas Mom
Off to Camarillo with him.

Yes, I remember that old saying. But we're showing our age - the state psychiatric hospital at Camarillo has been converted into a state university.

Or did you mean the guy needs an education? :)

8 posted on 11/02/2003 9:52:53 PM PST by Looking for Diogenes
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: farmfriend; JustPiper
PING..CA Power terrorist turns himself in to police in Sacramento!
9 posted on 11/02/2003 10:02:31 PM PST by Pro-Bush (Homeland Security + Tom Ridge = Open Borders --> Demand Change!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin
"The attorney general, because this covers any number of jurisdictions, refuses to tell me what I'm facing," Poulin told the wire service. "Because the threat of a terrorism charge hangs over me, I could end up in Guantanamo Bay."

Wanna take a ride?

10 posted on 11/02/2003 10:10:59 PM PST by Pro-Bush (Homeland Security + Tom Ridge = Open Borders --> Demand Change!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Looking for Diogenes
Oh my, I am dating myself.. It has been twenty years since I was out there. My sons Mother-in-law use to work there.
11 posted on 11/02/2003 10:17:00 PM PST by Texas Mom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin
I'm glad they have him now.

But the word is out about how easy it would be to bring down some of those towers, although they have a pretty good fail-safe system in place.

12 posted on 11/02/2003 10:25:45 PM PST by Syncro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Texas Mom
You're dating yourself????

Who pays, you....or ahhh..you?

LOL
13 posted on 11/02/2003 10:27:06 PM PST by Syncro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin
spokane Peace and Justice league is nothing but a bunch of democratic, government hating, industry hating, and blame whitey first whinny cronies....

they have never seen a leftist idea they didn't like...

somehow our local Catholic diocese likes to cozy up to them for certain issues....never mind abortion, never mind 9/11....

when you cozy up to crazed leftist you might as well be one yourself( listen up Sean Hannity, good friend of Tom Lykis)...

So he did all this sabatoge just to garner attention to the lack of security?....ha!

more likely he did this to protest the use of energy by we affluent, hateful Americans....

14 posted on 11/02/2003 10:37:45 PM PST by cherry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin
All these "right wingers" everyone from the government to the press is sooo worried about continue to be law abiding, while leftists prove their violence and law breaking every week.
15 posted on 11/02/2003 10:42:46 PM PST by MissAmericanPie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin

When did he become custody? ;-)

16 posted on 11/02/2003 10:44:42 PM PST by Cultural Jihad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FairOpinion; Pro-Bush; BagCamAddict; ganeshpuri89; pokerbuddy0; cgk; Donna Lee Nardo; ...
If you would like off/on this ping list please mail me!
17 posted on 11/03/2003 5:05:41 PM PST by JustPiper (18 out of 19 HiJacker's had State issued Driver's License's !!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Texas Mom
Off to Camarillo with him.

The people there are probably more sane than the rest of the population.

18 posted on 11/05/2003 11:58:56 AM PST by graycamel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: graycamel
I didn't mean to italicize the bottom sentence.
19 posted on 11/05/2003 11:59:57 AM PST by graycamel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Looking for Diogenes
the state psychiatric hospital at Camarillo has been converted into a state university.

I bet the former patients are the professors.
20 posted on 11/05/2003 12:01:55 PM PST by graycamel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson