Posted on 06/19/2014 5:24:39 AM PDT by Iron Munro
TAMPA — Federal authorities sought doomsday prepper Martin Winters for two days in the woods of east Hillsborough County, attempting to arrest him on weapons charges.
On the third day, agents didn't need to look far at all.
Winters, soggy-shoed and hungry, waited with a daughter in a car outside the FBI field office on Gray Street in Tampa on Wednesday morning as his attorneys stepped up to a reception desk and arranged his surrender.
In trade, he got cheeseburgers, fries, Gatorade, dry shoes, praise from the FBI and a morning free of gunfire — all this from the agency that had spent months chronicling his antigovernment rhetoric and spying on his preparations for an imminent "last stand" with law enforcement.
"We're glad to report that Mr. Winters did the right thing," said FBI spokesman David Couvertier. "We were hoping for a peaceful resolution, and today we got that."
Winters invoked his right to remain silent and was moved to the federal courthouse in downtown Tampa for a first appearance before Magistrate Judge Thomas Wilson.
The defendant's three adult daughters sobbed when he was led into the room in restraints. He wore dark camouflage pants and a brown T-shirt, his face rimmed by a Zeus-like mane of churning black and white curls.
He stood when the judge entered the room. He called Wilson "Sir."
But Wilson called Winters a danger to the community and ordered him held without bail.
Federal authorities say Winters, 55, leads a group known as the River Otter Preppers that advocates survival preparations in advance of an end-times event foretold in the Bible's Book of Revelation.
He and five others were indicted by a grand jury nearly two weeks ago. He's accused of designing and building destructive devices without a permit, among other charges. He pleaded not guilty.
Defense attorney Ellis Faught Jr., who first represented Winters 35 years ago on a hunting violation, told the judge that an undercover FBI agent who spent months building a case against Winters had witnessed only talk.
But Wilson didn't accept that.
"This is not just talk," the judge said. "There were, in fact, destructive devices found and sold."
Winters talked about booby traps and stashes of weapons he had around his house at 3032 Williams Blvd., according to an FBI affidavit. He also discussed elaborate plans to kill government agents in the event that they raided his property.
The FBI had tried to arrest Winters on Monday as he was driving near Durant High School in east Hillsborough County, but he sped away.
Prosecutor Donald Hansen told the judge that agents exercised caution because Winters' two grandchildren were with him. Eventually, he let them out and then abandoned the vehicle and ran into the brush.
On Tuesday, the FBI announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to Winters' capture, calling him "armed and dangerous."
"It could have been a catastrophe had he not turned himself in," attorney Faught said.
The surrender process began with a phone call just after 7 a.m. Wednesday, according to Faught.
Winters' 26-year-old daughter, Tracey Winters, arranged to meet the attorney at his office. Once there, she said her father wanted to surrender, Faught said. They picked him up in the general area of his home, several miles southeast of Brandon.
"He got in the car immediately, and we didn't stop anywhere," Faught said. "We went on State Road 60 all the way in. I just wanted to make sure to get to the FBI office as fast as we could without incident."
Thanks! I’ve never seen anything like that. According to that video, you still need paperwork to make one of those.
I recall when the Obama Justice Dept. arrested a bunch of guys from Michigan and Indiana for similar charges. After spending a substantial time in jail awaiting trial the case turned out to be BS and fell apart. (They may have called their group the “Hutrees” or something like that). The moral of the story is if you appear on their radar they will manufacture some reason to put you down. STFU and do what you have to do within the law.
Remember the first rule.
Ping worthy
Thank you. Whether it’s a pipe bomb or a zip gun, I would assume they would have to prove he actually made one (without the proper “paperwork”)...not just talk about it.
Isn't it better to use the generic term "zombies" when talking about protecting your property?
Speaking of operating without a permit, I’d like to see a copy of the FBI’s Congressionally passed legislative charter. A citation to the United States Code will be sufficient.
Christ! You do know most states have laws banning the possession or construction of zip guns? It’s a bit hair-brained to call them “perfectly legal”, either that or just plain entrapment on your part.
And, no, it doesn’t sound like he was making a zip gun. I’ve seen examples of booby-traps recovered from raided grow-ops that were constructed as generally outlined in the articles that describe this arrest. The devices I’m thinking of do very decidedly meet the NFA’s definition of a DD.
See Post #35 this thread for some good advise.
Seems funny to me that they can spend this much time and money on this one man meanwhile on the border they are allowing all kinds on contraband from drugs to weapons as well as everybody from future lifetime welfare queens, drug lords, street hoodlums and terrorist to cross over.
first,,,
Depends if they want to charge you or not. All those components easily meet the requirements for “bomb” making components.
Three days and he surrendered for a cheese burger and fries.
Must have forgotten to store something.
ROFL
It sounds like the FBI's invested a lot of time nailing Winters but here is an ironic factoid:
The nearby University of South Florida is a hotbed of American hating muslims and their leftist supporters.
That's where radical islamisty Sami Al-Arian (a Kuwaiti national) was a professor.
Al-Arian was charged with terrorist related crimes and was staunchly defended by much of the university faculty and student body.
He pleaded guilty on reduced charges and was ordered to be deported. He sent his family to Egypt but he is still here fighting the deportation order. His attorney is Jonathan Turley.
Terrorist related charges have also been leveled against other muslims tied to the school.
But the government has time (and the desire) to go after a man like Winters who has no record of violence and by all accounts is well thought of by his neighbors.
They are sending a message.
If you have a group of 3 people then one of them in an informant.
Leftists hate preppers for the same reason that people hated Noah.
By prepping, you’re accusing them.
By prepping, you’re telling liberals that their policies are leading to destruction.
Liberals invest their righteousness in the policies they advocate, and by prepping, you’re attacking their very sense of righteousness.
LOL! Right on.
1. If you don’t want it repeated, never say it.
2. If you don’t want it read, never write it down.
3. If you don’t want it posted somewhere, somehow, never take a picture of it.
My sister was going to take a picture of my, what appear to firearms, but probably are just cardboard cutouts, and I told her like the gate keeper in the wizard of oz. No way, no how.
And remember, the ones who are trying to get people to build bombs are always feds.
A slam fire shotgun?
Perhaps he had scuba gear.
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