Posted on 03/27/2003 2:05:38 PM PST by Chancellor Palpatine
Two men, including one from Ravalli, posed as Montana marshals last week and attempted to help Montana Freemen leader Leroy M. Schweitzer escape from federal prison in South Carolina, where he is serving a sentence for convictions in a massive bogus-check scheme.
The men, Ervin Elbert Hurlbert, 82, of Ravalli, and Donald Little, 55, of Tacoma, Wash., were arrested Friday at the Federal Correctional Institution in Edgefield, S.C., by the Edgefield County Sheriff's Department.
Hurlbert and Little appeared in federal court in Greenville, S.C., on Monday on a criminal complaint charging them with assisting in the attempted escape of Schweitzer. The maximum penalty if convicted is five years in prison. Hurlbert also was charged with impersonating an officer or employee of the United States. The maximum penalty for that charge is three years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanne Howard in Greenville said U.S. Magistrate William M. Catoe set bond for each defendant at $25,000 and appointed attorneys to represent them.
Schweitzer, 64, formerly of Belgrade, has been serving a 22 1/2-year sentence for jury convictions in 1998 on 25 crimes stemming from a scheme to issue bogus checks. His convictions include conspiracy, bank fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, false claims to the IRS, interstate transportation of stolen property, threats against public officials, armed robbery of a television news crew and firearms violations.
Schweitzer is expected to be released in 2018.
Schweitzer headed the Montana Freemen, an anti-government group that claimed its members were sovereign and not subject to the court's jurisdiction. They also espoused white supremacist religious ideas.
(Excerpt) Read more at billingsgazette.com ...
According to an affidavit by FBI Special Agent Deborah A. DeVito, two men entered the lobby of the federal prison on March 21 in Edgefield, identified themselves as "Montana marshals" to a prison officer and told her they were there to take custody of Schweitzer. The men presented her with documents, including one that appeared to be a writ demanding that the warden relinquish custody of Schweitzer to "Marshal Ervin Elbert clan of Hurlbert."
One of the documents said, "United States of America Special appointed Marshal Ervin Elbert: clan of Hurlbert shall assume full responsibility for the custody of the Justice/Petitioner," meaning Schweitzer.
DeVito said the documents had been signed by Schweitzer and three former Edgefield inmates. Prison officials notified the Edgefield County Sheriff's Department and sheriff's officers arrested the men.
DeVito tried to interview Little, but he refused to answer questions. He repeatedly told the agent that he was a "process server, non-combatant." Little also told the agent he was not a United States citizen but an "American National Citizen" and a foreigner from the "Country of Montana."
DeVito said in her affidavit that Hurlbert waived his rights but refused to sign a waiver form. Hurlbert told the agent he owned his name and would not sign anything.
Hurlbert said Schweitzer had sent him documents, which he presented to the Edgefield prison officials. In the documents, Schweitzer said he was "volunteering to return to the Country of Montana."
Hurlbert also told the FBI agent that the codes of the "Country of Montana permit the establishment of their own Supreme Court and Justices."
Hurlbert said he would not have "resorted to violence in any way to liberate Schweitzer" but admitted having a 9mm handgun in his vehicle for personal security. He said the gun was registered in the "Country of Montana."
Hurlbert said Schweitzer had told him to contact the U.S. Coast Guard if the warden refused to honor the documents because the Coast Guard has immigration authority.
A lot of professional athletes have adopted that attitude.
They won't give an autograph to a kid anymore unless the kid shells out 5~10 bucks upfront.
Pretty crappy if you ask me.
Now who or what did this ole cogger think he was going to fool as an active marshal???? ROTFLMAO
It gets funnier every time I read it.
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