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."
Interesting insight.
Helps explain why some people react strongly to an action that on the surface sounds reasonable and prudent.
Heck, even the feds suggest stockpiling food, water and supplies for disasters and emergencies.
But I do know that there seems to be a growing view in liberal circles that prepping is hoarding and a reason to be suspicious of preppers.
Zombies and the Amish - two threats to keep in mind at all times.
To my knowledge the slam-bang is legal if it does not violate other laws, such as minimum barrel length, and that the builder submits the proper federal forms.
I may be mistaken though.
If you know more about it and can give some specifics instead of casting aspersions it would be helpful.
It would take an underwater camera to get pictures of most FR firearms. We may be the least adept group of boaters in the history of the world.
For some leftists, it’s almost as if the post-crash America is some sort of eschatological utopia where “everyone’s in the same boat” (and I quote).
And if you are planning to avoid their utopian equality,
you are a really bad person.
This is why “hoarding” is so evil in their eyes. You’re avoiding “righteous” judgement.
FBI: Winters Cordial During SurrenderAccording to court records, he told the investigator about barrels buried on his property that were packed with AR-15 rifles, ammunition and bullet-proof vests that he purchased through straw buyers. He also showed the agent several booby traps he had built to use on federal agents, according to the affidavit.
One device was made of plastic piping that used compressed air to shoot out fish hooks to trap and immobilize intruders. A second booby trap consisted of metal pipes that were designed to fire 12-gauge shotgun shells.
[ The first rule of survival clud is you dont talk about survival club. ]
NAILED IT!
Speaking of Nailed I made some sweet caltr..... Dang I better shut up.
Liberalism is their religion, Socialist Utopia is their Heaven, and Barack Obama is their current Supreme Being.
[ It would take an underwater camera to get pictures of most FR firearms. We may be the least adept group of boaters in the history of the world. ]
I keep losing stuff in the nearby lake, it is like my boat has a hole in it despite the fact I can always get back to shore with it...
[ Leftists hate preppers for the same reason that people hated Noah.
By prepping, youre accusing them.
By prepping, youre telling liberals that their policies are leading to destruction.
Liberals invest their righteousness in the policies they advocate, and by prepping, youre attacking their very sense of righteousness. ]
And recently they have moved from Mocking Preppers to calling for their persecution for “Hoarding” and “Plotting”......
I know. Dang sudden squalls and capsizing canoes.
wow, that is a nasty piece of clever work...
Currently, there are no laws against “hoarding”, but there will be as soon as there are shortages.
And “hoarding” will mean “having any amount of food beyond what you can eat today, rationed to you by the government”.
Annnd there goes my formatting. Damnit.
but simple, so if someone asks you to make one for them the alarm bells should go off.
[ Currently, there are no laws against hoarding, but there will be as soon as there are shortages.
And hoarding will mean having any amount of food beyond what you can eat today, rationed to you by the government. ]
Yup, they will start with the Little Red Hen and finish off with the Ant....
That happened to my brother-in-law's family when he was a kid in West Texas during WWII.
The operated a ranch and canned enough food to get through the winters. Someone snitched and the ranch was raided, all their home canned food confiscated.
How did they get through the winter? They had a second cellar back off in the hills.
I remember an old Warner Bro’s Cartoon about nursery rhymes.
Old Mother Hubbard went to her cupboard to get her poor doggie a bone.
When she found none, the dog opens the OTHER door to the cupboard and it is full of food.
The dog then begins yelling “FOOD HOARDER! FOOD HOARDER!”
I think I once saw a military field manual that was my father’s detailing Viet Cong improvised mines and such, that includes that diagram.
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