Former Michigan Militia Leader's Home Raided

clickondetroit.com WDIV Channel 4 in Detroit ^ | 11/7/2002

[mostlyundecided]

Former Michigan Militia Leader's Home Raided
U.S. Marshals Find Guns, Ammunition Inside
Posted: 8:27 a.m. EST November 7, 2002
Updated: 8:48 a.m. EST November 7, 2002

U.S. Marshals raided the home of a former leader of the Michigan Militia Wednesday night.

Federal authorities went to the Dexter home of Mark Koernke (pictured, left) to serve a warrant for illegal use of radio equipment. Inside they found a stash of guns and ammunition, Local 4 reported.

Koernke is currently in custody on other weapons charges.

Federal authorities believe that weapons they seized Wednesday night belong to Koernke and not his family. He could face new federal firearms charges if the weapons belong to him, the station reported.

[js1138]

I'm curious how many "malitia" members are sympathetic to AQ. Tim McVeigh comes to mind.

[_Jim]

I'm curious how many "malitia" members are sympathetic to AQ. Tim McVeigh comes to mind.

And your SOURCE or basis for this conjecture is??????

I'll bet you haven't even READ his book - have you?)

[MrNeutron1962]

Yes, and the restrictions on FRS and even CB are quite limiting. FRS, 2 watts output, no external antennas, channelized operation.

CB 5 watts output, antenna height limits, limits on communications range (I.E. no ionospheric bounce with a 150 mile limit), not that anyone follows these rules anymore.

GMRS, Marine MF and Marine VHF are licensed, but the license is effectively automatically granted.

All other services require a frequency co-ordination, and FCC License, or Amateur Operator License.

I’d be willing to bet none of the above applies to this individual.

[PhilipFreneau]

Question: FYI, I'm not up on weapons laws, what kind of firearms would cause federal charges?

Answer: Automatic weapons that have not been taxed.

That is much too simplistic. There are a bewildering array of federal firearm regulations, some so deceptively worded that I feel certain there are many thousands of firearm owners committing felonies without realizing it. For example, there could be two identical looking rifles, one perfectly legal, and the other illegal (a felony offense), with the only obvious difference being the serial number. Our lawmakers have effectively created a whole new class of felon: felony exercising of the constituional right to keep and bear arms. The neat little trick about this type of felony is, if you are a felon in one aspect (knowingly or unknowingly), you forever lose the privilege to exercise your 2nd Amendment Rights in any manner. One other point: according to the federal and many state governments, there is currently no right to keep and bear arms -- only a privilege.

[_Jim]

Check me as being 'out' for the interim ...

[Registered]

Remind me to tell you about the time I imported 5,000 UHF broadcast devices that were manufactured wayyyyy above FCC limits. I connected my camcorder to one of them and broadcast my signal across town.

Needless to say, they were all confiscated and a fine was levied...

[MrNeutron1962]

Actually, you aren't, but the Cellular Sites are all liscensed, and the equipment is FCC type accepted for this use.

[_Jim]

FRS, 2 watts output, no external antennas, channelized operation.

Ahh .. try 0.5 (as in one-half) Watt output and a *permanently attached* antenna for FRS ...

And with that - I have to go ...

(PS. CB is USELESS when the 'skip is in' e.g. at/near the peak of a "sunspot cycle'. And recently, 10 and 11 Meters have both seen some really good propagation like that.)

[_Jim]

Actually, you aren't,

And and AND (your point is???)????

You are COVERED as a subscriber to a business desribed in FCC terms as a common carrier for this type of use in this 'service' ... that 'business' is licensed and uses assigned frequencies ...

Do you REALLY want to try and out-match me and my thirty plus years in radio-related experience?

I've got to go after this post ...

[michigander]

Remind me to tell you about the time I imported 5,000 UHF broadcast devices that were manufactured wayyyyy above FCC limits.

Do I know you? ;-)

[Chemist_Geek]

I'm not up on weapons laws, what kind of firearms would cause federal charges? Unlicensed? Wonder what he was doing with the radio that was illegal. With free speech it shouldn't be something he said, right?

In Michigan, Class III firearms are illegal, even with the BATF paperwork in order.

Koernke's been a "guest" of the State of Michigan for a while, after a pursuit in 2000.

There was an unlicensed radio station transmitting on 90.7 MHz, smack in the FM broadcast band, in his family home. This station's programming was mostly talk, taped messages from Mark, etc. It was a fairly low power transmitter; I was never able to receive it here south of Detroit along the river.

Actually, believe it or not, for many years not it has been the case that you do not need a radio operator's license to operate an aircraft radio unless you plan on flying internationally. Anyone can order a handheld aircraft radio from Sporty's.

IIRC, and don't quote me on this, but I thought that the FCC had subsumed a station/operator license into the pilot's certificate. That is, if one has the pilot's license, then one is also considered to have the radio license. That doesn't work in other nations, though, so a separate FCC license is required (write a check, fill out a form, wait a while, etc.) before international flights.

[Chemist_Geek]

There are a bewildering array of federal firearm regulations, some so deceptively worded that I feel certain there are many thousands of firearm owners committing felonies without realizing it.

They were written in an obfuscatory manner specifically for that purpose, I think...

[Poohbah]

I just can't picture him working along side the moose limbs.

Think "useful idiot." Many American leftists would not DREAM of working for Moscow--and proceeded to do so through a cut-out or two.

[Willie Green]

OK, so now how about raiding the homes of the other militia leaders (Al Qaeda cells and sympathizers) who also live in Michigan (can you say "Dearborn"?)

I would not be so quick to associate Michigan Militia with Al Quaeda. IMHO, any Michigan/AQ linkage would be through either extreme left-wing sympathizers or the relatively large Arabic ethnic community. (And I certainly don't mean to imply that all Arab-Americans in Michigan support the atrocities). However, it is my impression that Michigan Militia is more attractive to what's considered extreme Right-Wing fringe, such as KKK or white-supremecists.

There is a broad continuum of beliefs, and one must be careful to judge individuals objectively by the evidence, not merely assuming guilt by association. I myself sympathize in general with Koernke's 2nd Amendment views, but I am also extremely wary of the hard-corps kooks and creeps his brand of fanatic activism attracts. Definitely getting into fringe paranoid kook territory that's best to avoid.

[HetLoo]

Was that the high-speed chase he's currently in jail for?

[disgustedvet]

We haven't got the whole story, yet folks. First off, let me say that I know very little about the FCC, or anything to do with radio shows. If they are guilty of a crime there, let them pay the price.

However, there is more to this story. The feds arrived at their home yesterday around 10:30 AM local time. The reports on this thread state that the FCC arrived first, then called the ATF. It has been reported to me through other channels that this is FALSE. The BATF arrived with the FCC in FULL COMBAT GEAR to serve as the FCC's muscle. Mrs. Keornke immediately requested to see the warrant, but the feds didn't provide it. They told her they had one, but could not produce it. Throughout the course of the afternoon, they made off with her computer, and all of their weapons and ammunition, including bolt action rifles (not regulated by NFA, GCA68, etc.,). In addition, the feds totally recked their home, inflicting structural damage to the interior walls on the second story of their home.

After multiple request by Mrs. Keonrke throughout the seige to produce the warrant, the feds were ordered to stand down late yesterday afternoon. But they would not leave. They stayed in their yard as if trying to pick a fight with the local Patriots (note: they did the same thing to the locals while in NC looking for Eric Rudolph). They killed her telephone service, blocked off avenues of approach to and from the home, had choppers in the air, and had the home lit up like it was the Waco seige all over again. Finally, they all left around 10:30 PM local time last night, stealing Mrs. Keornke's proerty, still without producing the warrant. As of this morning, no person has seen a warrant, no arrests have been made, and no charges have been filed. The Keornke's home has been ransacked, damaged, and their personal property confiscated (or stolen).

Now, many things about this situation deeply disturb me. I think they are simply harrassing the family of a man who they sent to prison. Pure and simple. If the "supposed" warrant was for FCC violations, then why was the ATF the agency that executed the search, while in full combat gear, and take the weapons? When did it become a felony for the spouse or child of a felon to own a weapon?

Folks, we may not agree with Marke Keornke's politics. We may think he is a loon. But this isn't right. Think of the most upstanding Freeper you know. The only reason this has not happened to them yet, is only because they have not yet been labeled by the feds. If they can conduct this kind of raid, using "overkill" tactics, without a warrant, then go get the warrant after the fact (after your home is destroyed and your property gone), then NONE of us are safe. Think about that.

If we do not demand that the rogue BATF be reeled in, and no longer use these Gestapo tactics against the citizens of this nation, one day we will turn on the news and witness what happens when people are fed up with their tyranny. One day I fully expect to turn on Fox News, and see 20+ BATF agents dead in the streets, because they decided to pick on the wrong family. Maybe then they will stop this madness.

[HetLoo]

OK, so now how about raiding the homes of the other militia leaders (Al Qaeda cells and sympathizers) who also live in Michigan (can you say "Dearborn"?)

I would not be so quick to associate Michigan Militia with Al Quaeda. IMHO, any Michigan/AQ linkage would be through either extreme left-wing sympathizers or the relatively large Arabic ethnic community.

I think the point was they should be raiding the homes of "real" terrorists if they want to do that sort of thing.

[dfwgator]

Wouldn't it have been much cheaper and easier to broadcast using an audio stream over the Internet, rather than through shortwave radio?

[pinz-n-needlez]

Thanks for the additional info. Please keep us updated on developments.