Feds arrest six in ecoterrorism investigation

OregonLive ^ | Dec.8,2005 | unattributed

[crazyhorse691]

Federal authorities announced Thursday the biggest eco-terrorism bust in U.S. history, clearing up a series of arsons that plagued the Pacific Northwest from 1998 to 2001.

The U.S. Attorney for Oregon, Karen J. Immergut, announced the arrests of six alleged ecosaboteurs from Portland to New York accused of taking part in four arsons attributed to the Animal Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front, as well as the vandalizing of power transmission lines.

The nine-year investigation cleared up, in order, the June 1998 arson of a U.S. Department of Agriculture building in Olympia; the December 1998 torching of U.S. Forest Industries in Medford; the January 2001 arson at Superior Lumber Co. in Glendale; and the May 2001 arson at Jefferson Poplar Farms in Clatskanie.

Authorities also announced they have cleared up the downing of a power transmission line near Bend on the eve of the 2000 millennium celebration.

Arrested were Sanislas G. Meyerhoff, 28, in Charlottesville, Va.; Daniel G. McGowan, 31, in New York; Kevin M. Tubbs, 36, in Springfield, Ore.; William C. Rodgers, 40, of Prescott, Ariz.; Sarah K. Harvey, 28, in Flagstaff, Ariz.; and Chelsea D. Gerlach, 28, in Portland.

Each of the six was charged with taking part in one or more of the crimes.

[crazyhorse691]

There have been three other convictions recently for ecoterrorism in Oregon. One more suspect is fighting extradition from Canada. It's a good start.

[samadams2000]

But..but.."we were just kids"

[HHKrepublican_2]

I just posted this too...just different source.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1536778/posts

[somniferum]

These guys are domestic terrorists. 50 to life seems like a good start.

[samadams2000]

Nice! Great minds...

[Anti-Bubba182]

I hope the Feds are really severe on these people.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Yep, and they need to serve it in federal "pound-me-in-the-a**" prison. Let them talk their eco-crap in Leavenworth.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

If they committed arson, they should get the penalty for arson. If they downed a power line, then they should get the penalty for destruction of private or government property. If the damage they directly caused led to other indirect costs such as delayed medical care, lost business time, etc. then they should be liable civily.

But they should not be punished because of why they did it. This would just be feeding into the same nonsense that gave us "hate crime" legislation.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

And it's good that it is a federal beef. If it were state courts in California, Oregon, or Washington they'd get off when a liberal state court "accidentally" botches the case. As it is, there is a real danger of the 9th Circus overturning the conviction on appeal because the cops railroaded them by watching and catching them, and the enviralists' rights were violated when they didn't get served breakfast in bed.

[ridesthemiles]

There have been three other convictions recently for ecoterrorism in Oregon. One more suspect is fighting extradition from Canada. It's a good start.""

It's about time. Earth First and Wildlands Project are the parents of this monster group of persons. They all need to go to jail until they are too old and crippled to ever do anything dangerous again.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Agreed. Even if they somehow get off in criminal court, they should be sued for any industrial downtime, costs to re-install power equipment, and any delays in emergency services.

That's how the airlines handle things. If you get sloppy drunk and cause a flight to be diverted, the arrest at the gate for drunkenness and disorderly conduct is the tip of the iceberg. The airlines will sue you for the downtime of the aircraft and any related logistics problems, which can end up costing you 50 grand real easy.

[Anti-Bubba182]

That is a good point about the State courts in that area and the Ninth Circuit as well. Too bad!

I think the Feds will be very severe and if the Ninth tries anything they will be reversed, barring any grevious errors on the part of the Prosecution.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Being from Wyoming, I'm real familiar with Earth First! Those lousy pukes should all be in prison. They do all kinds of vandalism (like trashing logging and Forest Service Equipment, and spiking trees) and they sabotage equipment that causes a risk to the lives of the guys that are out earning a paycheck so that they'll hopefully quit and shut down the timber industry.

When I was in high school, I've had many insults yelled at me in public places and by slow-moving cars on the street because I liked to wear a T-shirt that said Earth Oil First! One maggot even chucked a beer bottle at me.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

insults yelled at me in public places and by slow-moving cars

Oops, that should be: "insults yelled at me by people in slow-moving cars".

[Ramius]

And what do they all have in common? I'll bet a hundred bucks... Evergreen State College.

[Calpernia]

Some were arrested here in NJ today for interfering with the bear hunt.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1536336/posts
Four Activists Arrested (Iranian-American Animal Rights Activist Threatens Hunters)



BTTT

[Ramius]

But they should not be punished because of why they did it.

Intent to cause public terror can be a crime, and I don't think it is like a "hate" crime. Seems to me to be on a level all its own.

[AmericanArchConservative]

But...but...they really CARED! Enough to DO something! {snivel, snivel}

/sarcasm

A.A.C.

"Oregon...Things look - different here?"

[glock rocks]

Now if they'd follow through and link it back to PETA, Sierra and the UN. I won't hold my breath.

[hattend]

BTTT