[Ppnews] Eco-activists * 3 arrested by FBI in Sacramento
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Sun Jan 15 15:07:25 EST 2006
<http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20060115112538475>FBI
arrests three suspected eco-activists
http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20060115112538475
Sunday, January 15 2006 @ 11:25 AM PST
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FBI agents in Sacramento, Calif., arrested three
suspected Earth Liberation Front members Friday
in an alleged plot to blow up U.S. Forest Service
facilities, cellular phone towers and
power-generating facilities at various locations in Northern California.
Saturday, January 14, 2006 - Page updated at 12:31 AM
FBI arrests three suspected eco-activists
By Greg Krikorian
Los Angeles Times
FBI agents in Sacramento, Calif., arrested three
suspected Earth Liberation Front members Friday
in an alleged plot to blow up U.S. Forest Service
facilities, cellular phone towers and
power-generating facilities at various locations in Northern California.
The arrests in the foothill community of Auburn,
30 miles east of Sacramento, capped a terrorism
investigation that began nearly a year ago, authorities said.
Taken into custody were Eric Taylor McDavid, 28,
of Foresthill, just outside Auburn; Zachary
Jensen, 20, of Monroe, Wash., and Lauren Weiner,
of Philadelphia, also 20. All three were being
held in federal custody pending a court
appearance on Tuesday, authorities said. They
could not be reached for comment and it was not
immediately clear who would be legally representing them in the case.
While the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office declined
to provide details about the alleged evidence
against the trio, FBI officials said they believe
their investigation foiled a possible attack on a
number of sites they would not specify.
"We did prevent some violent acts, I am sure of
that," said Dave Picard, assistant special agent
in charge of the FBI's Sacramento office. "These
people could have done a lot of harm to people and property."
At the same time, Picard and officials emphasized
that they had nothing to indicate that there was
any imminent danger to the public.
The three purported members of the eco-terrorist
group were arrested without incident about 11
a.m. as they exited a store in a shopping center
in Auburn. There, an FBI Special Weapons and
Tactics team and at least another dozen other
state and local police were waiting for the
suspects after a surveillance, authorities said.
The long-term investigation, which was
coordinated by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task
Force and included the U.S. Forest Service and
California Department of Fire and Forestry, began
not long after other Sacramento-area attacks
blamed on environmental extremists.
Just days after Christmas 2004, construction
workers found explosive devices at three new
houses in the Sacramento suburb of Lincoln. Two
weeks later, authorities were investigating an
attempted arson, with five incendiary devices, at
a commercial building being built in Auburn. Then
last February, seven devices were discovered
after a brief fire at a 100-unit apartment
complex in Sutter Creek, just southwest of
Sacramento, and a firebomb also was found outside
the Placer County Courthouse in Auburn.
The FBI later arrested four people in connection
with the incidents, and three of the four have pleaded guilty.
While last year's incidents and the recent case
have been blamed on the ELF, authorities said
their investigation was continuing and that they
had not yet found any links between the latest
alleged plot and the arsons a year ago.
Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company
From: "Friends of the Auburn 3" <auburn3 at gmail.com>
Date: Fri, January 13, 2006 8:32 pm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi,
You may already know of this situation, but three friends of ours got
arrested in Auburn the afternoon of Friday the 13th, 2006. They were
picked up by the FBI and it looks like they are being charged with
plotting to commit arson- the claim is that they were associated with
the Earth Liberation Front.
The three who were arrested are twenty year old Zachary Jenson of
Monroe, Washington, 20-year-old Lauren Weiner of Philadelphia and
28-year-old Eric McDavid of Foresthill, California.
They don't have many connections in the area and are in need of
solidarity. So far we have only talked to Lauren and the last we
heard she was about to be put in an orange jumpsuit and had been told
that they were on a federal hold and there would be no offer of bail.
The US marshalls were said to be the ones holding them.
Before that she told us that they would go before a judge on Tuesday-
I guess that's the first day courts are in session. We are all on the
east coast, but have managed to get connected to some NLG lawyers, at
least one of whom will be present on Tuesday and can serve as counsel.
We've put up a website:
auburn3.org
and have an email: info at auburn3.org or auburn3 at gmail.com
Currently we are trying to help as much as possible and are planning
on starting to raise funds for legal costs. We heard that your group
can possibly help our friends out, especially with organizing
solidarity work.
Any questions you have, or any ways we can work together you can email
us here. Thanks so much in advance for all the work you do for
everyone and for these three. It'd be great to keep each other
posted. As we hear more from Lauren or the lawyers or anyone we will
let you all know. We'd love to know any additional information that
you can find out that we may not have access to or be aware of from
over here. Thanks again.
Solidarity,
Friends of the Auburn 3
Please send urgent letters of support to:
LAUREN WEINER X-4198634 BKGF
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
USA
ZACHARY JENSON X-4198632 BKGM
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
USA
ERIC MCDAVID X-2972521 BKGM
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
USA
Sunday, January 15, 2006 Last modified: Sunday, January 15, 2006 1:33 AM PST
http://www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2006/01/15/news/top_stories/01arrests.txt
Auburn arrests in alleged bomb plot
By: <mailto:PenneU at goldcountrymedia.com>Penne Usher, Journal Staff Writer
A Foresthill man was among three people arrested
by the FBI Friday in Auburn for allegedly
plotting to destroy U.S. Forest Service
structures in the name of the Earth Liberation Front.
Eric Taylor McDavid, 28, of Foresthill, was
arrested with Zachary O. Jenson, 20, of Monroe,
Wash., and Lauren Weiner, 20, of Philadelphia, at
the Kmart shopping center at Bell Road and
Highway 49 in Auburn around 11 a.m., said Karen
Ernst, spokeswoman for the Sacramento FBI office.
John Cauthen, special agent with the Sacramento
FBI office, said Friday that the arrest was
related to the Earth Liberation Front eco-terror group.
"The arrest was based on evidence that they were
plotting on behalf of the ELF to destroy
unspecified cell phone towers, power generation
facilities and U.S. Forest Service facilities," Cauthen said.
The three did not resist arrest, Ernst said.
"The arrest was based on probable cause at this
time," she said. "A criminal complain is
anticipated to be filed early next week."
Ernst said the criminal complaint and
accompanying affidavit will lay out the
foundation for the charges. More information is expected in the following days.
At this point, authorities said the arrest in not
in direct connection to the planting of any bombs.
"We've been asked if there if this (incident) is
related to the ELF bombings in Auburn and Lincoln
last year and there is no connection to that investigation," Ernst said.
According to an FBI press release, Jenson,
Weiner, and McDavid were intending to use
explosives to also destroy "unspecified power generation facilities."
FBI officials said there is no information to
indicate there is an immediate danger to public welfare or safety.
This is not the first time the Earth Liberation
Front has struck in the Auburn area.
Four eco-terror suspects were arrested last year
in connection with multiple fire-bomb attempts.
Four firebombs were round at the Twelve Bridges
development in Lincoln on Dec. 27, 2004, and five
incendiary devices were found at an Auburn Office
building under construction Jan. 12. 2005. An
apartment complex in Sutter Creek was burned Feb.
7. All were connected to the Earth Liberation Front.
Ryan Lewis, 23, of Newcastle, pleaded "guilty"
Oct. 14, 2005 in federal court to two counts of
attempted arson and one count of arson in
connection with the planting of incendiary
devices in Placer and Amador counties. He remains
in a Sacramento County jail pending sentencing.
Eva Holland, 26, and her sister Lili Holland, 21,
also of Newcastle, pleaded "guilty" to a count of
attempted arson. A fourth defendant, Jeremiah
Colcleasure, 24, will face a jury later this year. He remains free on bail.
Additionally, an "incendiary device" was found on
the steps of the Placer County Historic
Courthouse in Old Town Feb. 13, 2005 and another
similar device was located behind the Auburn
office of the Department of Motor Vehicles. No
one has been arrested in connection with the two plantings.
Steve Lapham, assistant U.S. attorney, who
prosecuted a case against four alleged members of
the Earth Liberation Front last year, said Friday the newest case is unrelated.
"The (new) arrests were not made in regard to
(last year's) bombing," Lapham said. "It's an
unrelated case, (but) the ELF connection is fairly significant."
The long-term investigation leading to the arrest
of McDavid, Jenson and Weiner was a collaborative
effort by various fderal, sate, and lcal law
enforcement agencies comprising the FBI Joint
Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) as well as assistance
from the U.S. Forest Service and the California
Department of Fire and Forestry. The matter will
be prosecuted by the United States Attorney's
Office in the Eastern District of California.
The Journal's
<mailto:PenneU at goldcountrymedia.com>Penne Usher
can be reached at
<mailto:penneu at goldcountrymedia.com>penneu at goldcountrymedia.com.
The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org
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