[Ppnews] Report on Sacramento arrests from "Bombs & Shields"
Political Prisoner News
PPnews at freedomarchives.org
Thu Jan 19 08:50:37 EST 2006
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
http://bombsandshields.blogspot.com/
Medford, Oregon, U.S. - Two more environmental
<http://www.ksl.com/?nid=157&sid=151954>activists
have been charged in connection with a series of
Northwest arsons claimed by the Earth and Animal
Liberation Fronts.
<http://bombsandshields.blogspot.com/2005/12/from-cold-case-bureau-kevin-tubbs.html>The
first arrests in the investigation, which began
in 1997 took place in four separate states early last month.
Jonathan Paul, 39, of Ashland, received a
<http://www.fbiwitchhunt.com/E12-8-05(2).html>Grand
Jury subpoena on December 7th, but was not
arraigned until today on charges that he helped
firebomb a horse slaughter house and meat packing
plant in Redmond, Oregon, in 1997. The fire
caused an estimated $1 million in damages.
Jonathan
<http://www.furcommission.com/resource/perspectdenson2.htm>was
charged but not prosecuted in the 1986 sabotage
of a University of Oregon animal testing lab. He
also spent six months in jail in 1993 for
refusing to testify before a Spokane, Washington
Grand Jury about now convicted Animal Liberation
Front saboteur <http://yeoldeconsciousnessshoppe.com/art129.html>Rod Coronado.
Suzanne Nicole "India" Savoie, 28, of Applegate,
was also indicted but remains at large. The U.S.
attorney's office claims that she served as a
lookout in the 2001 fire bombing at the offices
of the
<http://www.infoshop.org/news6/glendale_fire.html>Superior
Lumber Mill in Glendale, Oregon. Two of the
suspects arrested on December 7th are also
charged in connection with that arson. That fire
caused an estimated $400,000 in damage. Both
Savoie and Paul face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Investigators got their first major break in the
case in 2004 when one of the alleged arsonists
began cooperating with them.
<http://bombsandshields.blogspot.com/2005/12/eugene-oregon-u.html>Jacob
Ferguson claims that he was member of the group
which set many of the fires which are under
investigation. Jacob, who is a known heroin user
in Eugene and at one point spent a lot of time
with people in the environmental movement, began
assisting the FBI in their investigation shortly
after the agency offered a
<http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_052104_news_fbi_reward.1e3af4935.html>$50,000
reward for information in the cases.
posted by Bombs and Shields at
<http://bombsandshields.blogspot.com/2006/01/jonathan-paul-with-his-sister.html>7:15
PM | Comment (0)
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Sacramento, California, U.S. -
<http://static.kovr.viacomlocalnetworks.com/~kovr/affidavit.pdf>FBI
documents released today reveal details about the
state's case against Eric McDavid, Lauren Weiner,
and Zachary Jensen, who were
<http://bombsandshields.blogspot.com/2006/01/auburn-california-u.html>arrested
Friday for allegedly conspiring to blow up U.S.
Forest Service buildings and cell phone towers on
behalf of the Earth Liberation Front. According
to the criminal complaint the group considered
bombing the Nimbus Dam on the American River near
Sacramento, a cellular telephone tower, a power
station, banks, trucks, mountain-top-removal
projects in West Virginia and Communist Party offices.
The complaint went on to claim that the three
"scoped out" the US Forest Service's Institute of
Forest Genetics in Placerville, California,
building and the Nimbus Dam, on January 10th. The
following day they allegedly purchased
ingredients for a homemade bomb at an area
Wal-Mart store. Agents say that they recovered a
notebook from Eric McDavid which contained a
diagram of the Forest Service Institute and pictures of pipe bombs.
Information in the complaint comes from a paid
"confidential source (CS) who is deeply imbedded
within the subjects' cell. The CS has worked for
the FBI since early 2004. S/he has agreed to
testify in court." Supporters identified the CS
as a young woman named "Anna" who "went to
Auburn" with the defendants shortly before their
arrests. The document says that she has provided
information in at least 12 anarchist cases since
2004. She has traveled to and infiltrated various
anarchist gatherings and protests across the
country including the
<http://www.biodev.org/>Biodev 2005
demonstrations in Philadelphia, a
<http://www.crimethinc.com/>CrimethInc.
convergence in Indiana and the
<http://www.greenanarchy.org/index.php?action=feralvisions>Feral
Visions green anarchist gathering in North
Carolina. A police officer suffered a
<http://bombsandshields.blogspot.com/2005/06/philadelphia-pennsylvania-people-took.html>fatal
heart attack during a confrontation at the
Philadelphia protest which the defendants are now being linked to.
Additional information provided in the complaint
was gathered from the defendant's own blogs and
MySpace.com an online community were at least one
of the defendants has a personal profile and
blog. <http://myspace.com/>MySpace is a popular
networking and dating forum used by young people.
MySpace profiles regularly contain fictitious
information about individuals. For instance, one
of the defendants profiles which was used against
him in court said that he lives in "the barren
wastelands, Morocco." A profile on the
<http://www.livejournal.com/>LiveJournal.com
personal publishing site and online community was also used as evidence.
All three suspects are being held in the
Sacramento County Jail. They have had difficulty
receiving vegan or vegetarian meals from jail
authorities. Lauren's case is particularly
serious because she has Lymes disease which is
maintained through dietary control and is also
lactose intolerant. She has requested that people
<http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2006/01/331953.shtml>contact
the jail on her behalf and request that she be given food which she can eat.
posted by Bombs and Shields at
<http://bombsandshields.blogspot.com/2006/01/sacramento-california-u.html>6:26
PM | Comments (7)
Eugene, Oregon, U.S. -
<http://bombsandshields.blogspot.com/2005/12/sarah-harvey-left-with-her-partner-h.html>Sarah
Harvey, also known as Kendall Tankersley, who was
arrested along with five others on
<http://bombsandshields.blogspot.com/2005/12/from-cold-case-bureau-kevin-tubbs.html>December
7th, was granted $250,000 bail by Judge Ann Aiken
Friday. The arrests were part of a coordinated
sting that spanned the country and included four
states and targeted people who had been involved
in the environmental and animal rights movement.
Each of the individuals arrested have been
charged with committing acts of arson on behalf
of the Earth or Animal Liberation Front. One of
the conditions of her release is that she not
have any contact with people in the Earth
Liberation Front or the Animal Liberation Front.
Activists claim that the arrests are nothing more
than harassment and say that the FBI is creating a 'Green Scare."
The
"<http://www.geocities.com/kk_abacus/naelp2.html>Green
Scare" is a term many people are using to
describe the contemporary government hysteria
surrounding and persecution of environmentalists
and animal rights activists. In May the
government described the ELF as
<http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0520-05.htm>"the
biggest terrorist threat in the US." This
assertion contradicts commonly known information
about groups on the radical right, like the
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_of_God>Army of
God who have murdered numerous doctors who
perform abortions and are responsible for the
1996 Olympics bombing, which killed two and
maimed 111 others. The Earth and Animal
Liberation Fronts have committed 1000s of direct
actions without ever harming a person since forming in 1976.
Sac Prisoner Support
Eric McDavid, Zachary Jenson and Lauren Weiner were arrested on
Friday in Auburn, California and accused of "conspiring to damage
or destroy by explosive or fire" cell phone towers, power plants
and US Forest Service facilities. They are accused of being
members of an Earth Liberation Front cell and are currently being
held in the Sacramento County Main Jail.
We have been in contact with all three prisoners and they have all
requested prisoner support, including: receiving letters, books and
assistance in obtaining legal counsel. When writing to the prisoners,
please do not discuss their cases at all. Any mail addressed
improperly will not be delivered. Use their proper names and refrain
from discussing issues related to their charges. Remember, all mail
is opened and read by the government and can be used in court.
Mailing instructions are below. Please follow them carefully or the
prisoners will not receive what you send them. When sending
literature please keep in mind the nature of the charges against them
and do not send anything which could potentially be damaging to their
case.
Eric would like books about new physics, philosophy, alternative
health and yoga. Zachary would like non-fiction accounts of
traveling and is also interested in personal ‘zines [ we do not
know if ‘zines will get into the jail; for the best results have
them sent through a publisher such as AK Press ]. Lauren would
like books about prison issues and is interested in historical
political prisoners.
We are asking that everyone wait until the prisoners and their
lawyers have had an opportunity to develop defense strategies
before organizing any activities on their behalf other than letter
writing.
Lauren is severely lactose intolerant has requested nutritious
vegan meals. She says she has not been able to get enough vegan
protein. She would like people to call or write the jail and
request that she be given nutritious vegan meals and be given
access to the commissary, which she has so far been denied. She is
currently in isolation and has only been allowed to leave her cell
for visits and court. Zachary is vegetarian and would like people
to call and/or write the jail and request that he be given
vegetarian meals.
Please politely contact the Jail to request that they receive
access to the commissary and meals that accomodate their diets:
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
916.874.6752
Initial Court Appearance Reportback:
The three defendants were read their charges, which (as of now)
consist of a charge of conspiracy to damage or destroy public and
private infrastructure by explosives or fire. This charge carries
a sentence of 5-20 years in prison. The charges will be more clear
when the indictment (a rubber stamp from a grand jury for the
government to prosecute the case) is delivered and the charges
become official. The criminal complaint was made available today;
it indicates that the case is primarily based upon the testimony
of a confidential informant who was paid by the FBI and 'embedded'
within the alleged ELF cell. According to the criminal complaint
this person has been an informant in 12 other 'anarchist cases'
and has agreed to testify in open court.
Detention hearings have been set for Friday, Jan 20th for Lauren,
and Tuesday, January 24th for both Eric and Zachary. These hearings
will determine whether or not they will be eligible for bail. The
US Attorney who is prosecuting the case, Ellen Endrizzi, did her
best to demonize the three and create the illusion that if bailed
out they would flee and put the public at risk. Lauren, Zachary and
Eric are facing serious charges, but the rapid and caring response
of their families and concerned supporters as well as their
tenacious assertion of their rights are helping to give their cases
a promising start.
The Criminal Complaint is available online at:
http://www.indybay.org/uploads/criminalcomplaint.pdf
For questions about supporting the three prisoners please contact
sacprisonersupport at riseup.net
Thanks,
Sac Prisoner Support
These are the NEW addresses of the prisoners:
WEINER, LAUREN X-4198634 7W419
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
MCDAVID, ERIC X-2972521 4W114A
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
JENSON, ZACHARY X-4198632 7E213A
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Instructions from www.sacsheriff.com on correspondence with inmates:
Inmate Mail and Correspondence Information
Correspondence:
ALL correspondence, including money orders, must have a return name and
address and be addressed in the following manner:
Inmate’s Name, X-Reference number, Housing Location
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Example:
Doe, John X-1234567 6W303
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Books, Newspapers and subscriptions:
Due to the large population of inmates in custody, you must include the
inmate’s reference number and housing location on all items mailed to the
Main Jail. The Jail will not accept books, newspapers or magazines mailed
from a book store or an individual. Books, newspapers and magazines will
ONLY be accepted directly from the publisher or through online services
(Amazon, Barnes and Noble
.etc.) on behalf of the inmate. Any material
that appears to be obscene or tends to incite murder, arson, riot, racism
or otherwise compromises the security of the facility will not be
accepted.
The following is a sample of unacceptable items which will be returned to
the sender:
• Stationery/Stamps
• Polaroid Pictures
• Photos larger than a standard 35mm size (4x6)
• Stickers on the inside or outside of the envelope/letter
• Any items not listed which may
compromise the security of the facility
ALL unacceptable or improperly addressed inmate mail will be returned to
sender.
The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org
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