Grand Jury Indicts Four Accused Eco-terrorists in Firebombing of
Log Trucks; Three Suspects Arrested, One Remains At-large
Arrests mark first breakthrough for Oregon's Joint Terrorism Task Force, though the majority of eco-terror crimes continue to go unresolved AUGUST 15, 2002 — Portland, Ore — Oregon's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) arrested three individuals Tuesday and are seeking a fourth-well-known local activist Michael Scarpitti a/k/a 'Tre Arrow'-in connection with the firebombing of log trucks during last year's protests of the Eagle Creek timber sale organized by the Cascadia Forest Alliance.
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| In June 2001, log trucks at Schoppert Logging Inc. near Estacada, Ore., were firebombed amid protests of the Eagle Creek timber sale. Investigators at the scene (above) discovered four incendiary devices planted underneath the trucks that did not ignite as intended. |
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A federal grand jury returned an indictment Tuesday relating to the eco-terrorist arson attack at Schoppert Logging Company near Estacada, Oregon against Jacob David Bardwell Sherman, Jeremy David Rosenbloom, Angela Marie Cesario and Michael James Scarpitti a/k/a Tre Arrow (see details below). All of the suspects except for Scarpitti a/k/a 'Tre Arrow' are in custody. If found guilty, each of the accused eco-terrorists could face a fine of up to $1 million dollars or up to 80 years in federal prison or both (specific charges are listed below). The three suspects currently in custody pleaded not guilty to charges that they set the fire to the logging trucks in court Wednesday, August 14, 2002. The firebombing of the log trucks at Schoppert Logging on June 1, 2001 caused in excess of $50,000. A total of eight incendiary devices were planted underneath the trucks, but only four ignited as planned. |
Investigators noted similarities between the incendiary devices planted at Schoppert Logging with those used in the Easter 2001 firebombing of three cement trucks at Portland's Ross Island Sand & Gravel. The Earth Liberation Front (ELF) claimed responsibility for the Ross Island arson, which caused more than $200,000 in damages. Schoppert Logging was under contract to start logging in the Eagle Creek area of the Mount Hood National Forest the very day of the attack. All of the suspects were reportedly active opponents of the Eagle Creek timber sales.
| The trial is set for Wednesday, October 16, 2002. The arrests made in connection with the Schoppert arson attack mark the first major breakthrough for the Oregon Joint Terrorism Task Force, though the vast majority of eco-terror crimes continue to go unresolved. Included are the March 2001 arson attack against Joe Romania Chevrolet in Eugene ($1 million in damages), the January 2001 ELF-claimed arson against Superior Lumber in Glendale ($400,000 in damages), the June 2000 Pure Seed Testing vandalism in Canby ($500,000 in damages), the March 1999 firebombing of logging equipment in Sweat Home ($910,000 in damages) and the November 1997 ALF-claimed BLM arson in Burns ($350,000 in damages). |
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| Law enforcement officials have reported similarities between the incendiary devices planted at the Schoppert firebombing and those used in the Easter 2001 ELF-claimed arson attack against Portland’s Ross Island Sand & Gravel, which caused more than $200,000 in damages. |
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Suspects:
- Jacob David Bardwell Sherman, age 20, Portland State University Student
- Jeremy David Rosenbloom, age 25, Portland State University Student
- Angela Marie Cesario, age 23, Portland State University Student
- Michael James Scarpitti a/k/a Tre Arrow, age 28, a local activist most known for perching atop a ledge outside the U.S. Forest Service headquarters in downtown Portland for 11 days to call attention to efforts to stop logging plans at Eagle Creek (a judge sentenced Scarpitti to pay restitution and work for two weeks in a Forest Service camp on Mount Hood for failure to observe court orders to come down)
* All four activists were reportedly active opponents of the Eagle Creek timber sale in the Mount Hood National Forest, which Schoppert Logging was under contract to log. Charges Against Each Suspect: - Using fire to destroy a vehicle, maximum sentence 20 years
- Obstructing movement of interstate commerce, maximum sentence 20 years
- Using violence to interfere with commerce, maximum sentence 10 years
- Using an incendiary device to commit an act of violence, maximum sentence 30 years
* Cesario also faces an additional count of making a false statement, which carries a maximum of 5 years in prison Firebombing Facts: - On June 1, 2001 at approximately 2:40 a.m., an area resident reported the fire at Schoppert Logging Inc. located at 26450 SE Highway 224 near Estacada, Oregon
- A total of eight incendiary devices were planted underneath log trucks, though only four ignited as intended
- The arson attack completely destroyed one log truck and damaged another and a front-end loader
- Total property loss was estimated in excess of $50,000
- Schoppert Logging was under contract to start logging in the Eagle Creek area of the Mount Hood National Forest the very day of the attack
- No person or group claimed responsibility for the firebombing, although the incident is listed in the North America Liberation Front's 2001 Annual Report as an unclaimed act
Related Stories:
- Suspect in Anti-logging Arson Still at Large, The Oregonian, August 15, 2002
- Four Forest Activists Indicted in Firebombing of Log Trucks, The Oregonian, August 14, 2002
- Two Arrested, Two Sought in Eagle Creek Arson Case, Associated Press, August 13, 2002
- Oregon Joint Terrorism Task Force Made Their First Arrests in an Eco-Terrorism Case, KPTV Channel 12, August 13, 2002
- Arrests and Indictments in Logging Truck Arson, Oregon Public Radio, August 13, 2002
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