Posted on 03/29/2010 2:33:09 PM PDT by Cindy
Note: The following text is a quote:
Nine Members of a Militia Group Charged with Seditious Conspiracy and Related Offenses
Six Michigan residents, along with two residents of Ohio and a resident of Indiana, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit on charges of seditious conspiracy, attempted use of weapons of mass destruction, teaching the use of explosive materials, and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade and FBI Special Agent in Charge Andrew Arena announced today.
The five-count indictment, which was unsealed today, charges that between August 2008 and the present, the defendants, David Brian Stone, 45, his wife, Tina Stone, 44, his son, Joshua Matthew Stone, 21, of Clayton, Michigan, and his other son, David Brian Stone, Jr., 19, of Adrian, Michigan, Joshua Clough, 28, of Blissfield, Michigan, Michael Meeks, 40 of Manchester, Michigan, Thomas Piatek, 46, of Whiting, Indiana, Kristopher Sickles, 27, of Sandusky, Ohio, and Jacob Ward, 33, of Huron, Ohio, acting as a Lenawee County Michigan militia group called the Hutaree, conspired to oppose by force the authority of the U.S. government. According to the indictment, Hutaree members view local, state, and federal law enforcement as the “brotherhood,” their enemy, and have been preparing to engage them in armed conflict.
The indictment further alleges that the Hutaree planned to kill an unidentified member of local law enforcement and then attack the law enforcement officers who gather in Michigan for the funeral. According to the plan, the Hutaree would attack law enforcement vehicles during the funeral procession with improvised explosive devices with explosively formed projectiles, which, according to the indictment, constitute weapons of mass destruction. Subsequently, and in furtherance of this plan, David Brian Stone, the Hutaree’s leader, obtained information about such devices over the Internet and e-mailed diagrams of such devices to a person he believed capable of manufacturing the devices. He then had his son, Joshua Matthew Stone, and others gather materials necessary for the manufacturing of such devices.
According to the indictment, in June 2009, David Brian Stone and his other son, David Brian Stone, Jr., taught other Hutaree members how to make and use explosive devices intending or knowing that the information would be used to further a crime of violence. In addition, the grand jury charged all nine defendants with carrying or possessing a firearm during a crime of violence on at least one occasion.
U.S. Attorney McQuade said, “Because the Hutaree had planned a covert reconnaissance operation for April which had the potential of placing an unsuspecting member of the public at risk, the safety of the public and of the law enforcement community demanded intervention at this time."
Andrew Arena, FBI Special Agent in Charge, said, "This is an example of radical and extremist fringe groups which can be found throughout our society. The FBI takes such extremist groups seriously, especially those who would target innocent citizens and the law enforcement officers who protect the citizens of the United States. The FBI would like to thank our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who are member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, for their assistance in this case."
As of this morning, eight of the nine defendants are in custody and seven of them will be making their initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Donald A. Scheer at 10 a.m. Joshua Stone is currently a fugitive. Any person with information as to the whereabouts of this individual should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (313) 965-2323.
The charge of seditious conspiracy carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction carries a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison, Teaching the use of explosives materials carriers a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minium penalty of at least five years in prison.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by special agents of the FBI and the Michigan State Police.
Did they light the fuse on one and it didn’t go off? That’s what I would call “attempted use”.
Fox had a link to their website, but it of course is down/overloaded. Did anyone get a copy of their website because I would like to see for myself what their beliefs are. (Not that I don’t trust the MSM or anything like that.)
Will the gov’t arrest any of us who just think about sedition?
Yes, as soon as the chairman think he has enough control, he will
I heard they were trying to start a revolution. 9 men? This was surely the smallest revolution ever.
I don’t trust the DOJ or FBI to be apolitical on this. The ATF was grandstanding for Reno at Waco. We have the very worst of people in charge in Washington and they have shown no competence at being impartial. We have them defending terrorists at the expense of national security.
This was a warning from the government.
It is indeed.
I wonder when they'll start doing their job.
Political dissent is not criminal. And we will dissent loudly and in an organized fashion. When we do that the Obama campaign becomes ineffective.Thats why we have this inintiative against " spitting resisters, and thoise flaming right womngers who are threatening our poor poor dem reps who do not vote as required by their constituents?
Sorry Holder and Obama. Your feet will be held to the fire you have kindled, whether you like it ir not.
Excellent points. We are definitely through the looking glass at this point.
Or why not gangs anywhere in the USA? Priorities?
Just like Atlanta...Just like Ft. Detrick...
Is there such a thing as deja vu about deja vu all over again?
How about Scooter Libby?
I’m not one to trust anything that comes out of the government, but if these guys were planning something like this and the government found out about it, it’s hardly reasonable to expect them to wait until after blood had been spilled.
The timing is suspect. It seems they were on to this group for a while yet they chose to bust them just as the Cantor story was about to come out.
Howdy Cindy,
Hope you are well.
These clowns have the U.S. Govt worried?
This bunch of Bubba’s?
Because for the vast majority of gang bangers, attacking a police funeral is a wet dream the height of suicidal folly.
Gang members have been known to shoot other gang members who have brought too much police scrutiny down on their neighborhood operations.
There is no hard evidence yet that the Vagos are directly or indirectly responsible for the actions against the Hemet PD. Believe me, the Feds are on board with that one. When they get something indictable, they will indict. They probably haven’t found the right snitch yet.
“A group like this ultimately becomes so infiltrated by informants that the informants can influence the policies of the group. I’m not saying this happened but the FBI has used agent provocateurs in the past.”
A few decades before the overthrow of the Czar, his own secret police - the Okrana - had become the primary supplier of explosives to Russian subversive groups. Mere provocateurs, in essence.
A bit like Ruby Ridge.
“These clowns have the U.S. Govt worried?
This bunch of Bubba’s?”
In a powder keg even a small spark can do it.
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