[Ppnews] Texas Man Sentenced On Firearms Charges Connected to RNC

[Political Prisoner News]

Texas Man Sentenced On Firearms Charges Connected to the Republican 
National Convention

By: <http://prnewswire.sys-con.com/>PR Newswire
http://ca.sys-con.com/node/973833
May. 21, 2009 05:11 P

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice (sic)

MINNEAPOLIS, May 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A 23-year-old man from 
Austin, Texas, who was connected to a group that planned to disrupt 
the Republican National Convention in September 2008, was sentenced 
today in federal court on three firearms charges.

On May 21 in Minneapolis, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Michael 
Davis sentenced David Guy McKay to 48 months in prison and three 
years of supervised release on one count of possession of an 
unregistered firearm, one count of illegal manufacture of a firearm 
and one count of possession of a firearm with no serial number. McKay 
pleaded guilty on March 17.

Today's sentence included a finding by Judge Davis that McKay 
obstructed justice at his January trial by falsely accusing a 
government informant, Brandon Darby, of inducing him to manufacture 
the Molotov cocktails.

Judge Davis told McKay that while it was acceptable for people to 
peacefully protest, McKay's activities took him down a different 
path, one of anarchy. "I saw you on the videotape," Judge Davis 
added, referring to evidence shown of McKay during a recording of a 
violent protest. "You were leading the charge. You and Crowder were 
coming up here (to Minnesota) to do anarchy against the system."

"This milestone today is another result of two years of diligent 
preparation for the 2008 Republican National Convention," said Ralph 
Boelter, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Minneapolis Field 
Office. "The successful outcome in this case is due in no small part 
to our strong working relationships with partner agencies like U.S. 
Secret Service, St. Paul Police Department, Ramsey County Sheriff's 
Office and the ATF."

McKay was indicted on Sept. 22, 2008, along with a second defendant, 
Bradley Neal Crowder, 24, Austin, Texas. Crowder was sentenced to 24 
months in prison last week on one count of possession of an 
unregistered firearm. McKay was tried for the crimes in January, but 
the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict.

During McKay's guilty plea hearing, he admitted that from Aug. 31 
through Sept. 3, 2008, he knowingly possessed firearms, namely 
destructive devices, not registered to anyone in the National 
Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. McKay also admitted that 
he made the devices, as well as knowingly received and possessed 
destructive devices not identified by serial number as required by law.

Following a FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation, McKay was 
arrested by the St. Paul Police Department during the execution of a 
search warrant on Sept. 3 at a residence on Dayton Avenue. Police 
found eight assembled Molotov cocktails in the basement. They 
consisted of bottles filled with gasoline with an attached wick made 
from tampons.

According to trial testimony, the FBI in Texas began investigating 
the group, labeled by law enforcement as the Austin Affinity Group, 
in February 2008. McKay and Crowder were members of the group.

McKay admitted that on Aug. 28, 2008, he, Crowder and other members 
of the Austin Affinity Group traveled from Austin, Texas, to 
Minnesota. The group brought a rental trailer with them that 
contained 35 riot shields, made from stolen traffic barrels. The 
intended use of the shields was to help demonstrators block streets 
near the Xcel Energy Center in order to prevent convention delegates 
from safely reaching the convention. St. Paul Police seized these 
shields on Aug. 31.

According to trial testimony, McKay and Crowder, angered by the loss 
of the shields, purchased supplies for constructing Molotov cocktails 
at a St. Paul Wal-Mart on Aug. 31, including a gas can, motor oil and 
tampons. They also purchased gasoline at a gas station. They then 
manufactured the eight Molotov cocktails at an apartment on Dayton 
Avenue where they were staying.

Law enforcement learned through an informant that McKay and Crowder 
had manufactured the Molotov cocktails.

During a conversation overheard by law enforcement through electronic 
surveillance on Sept. 2, McKay told an informant that he intended to 
throw the Molotov cocktails at police vehicles parked in a lot near 
the Dayton Avenue apartment. The parking lot was used as a checkpoint 
area for vehicles entering the security perimeter around the 
convention site. It was visibly patrolled by the U.S. Secret Service, 
various police agencies and the military.

During the execution of a search warrant by the St. Paul Police 
Department at the Dayton Avenue residence where McKay was staying 
when he was arrested, officers seized a variety of items, including 
gas masks, slingshots, helmets and knee pads. Under the kitchen sink, 
officers discovered a two-gallon gasoline container identical to the 
one purchased by McKay at the Wal-Mart on Aug. 31. In the basement of 
the residence, officers found eight assembled Molotov cocktails.

This case was the result of an investigation by the FBI Joint 
Terrorism Task Force, which includes in addition to the FBI, the 
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Ramsey 
County Sheriff's Office, the Secret Service and the St. Paul Police 
Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey S. 
Paulsen and W. Anders Folk.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice




Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/ppnews_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20090521/8bb912b4/attachment.htm>