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FBI arrests three suspected
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Sunday, January 15 2006 @ 11:25 AM PST<br>
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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.<br><br>
Saturday, January 14, 2006 - Page updated at 12:31 AM<br><br>
FBI arrests three suspected eco-activists<br><br>
By Greg Krikorian<br><br>
Los Angeles Times<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
"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."<br><br>
At the same time, Picard and officials emphasized that they had nothing
to indicate that there was any imminent danger to the public.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
The FBI later arrested four people in connection with the incidents, and
three of the four have pleaded guilty.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company<br><br>
From: "Friends of the Auburn 3"
<auburn3@gmail.com><br>
Date: Fri, January 13, 2006 8:32 pm<br><br>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>
Hi,<br>
You may already know of this situation, but three friends of ours
got<br>
arrested in Auburn the afternoon of Friday the 13th, 2006. They
were<br>
picked up by the FBI and it looks like they are being charged with<br>
plotting to commit arson- the claim is that they were associated
with<br>
the Earth Liberation Front.<br><br>
The three who were arrested are twenty year old Zachary Jenson of<br>
Monroe, Washington, 20-year-old Lauren Weiner of Philadelphia and<br>
28-year-old Eric McDavid of Foresthill, California.<br><br>
They don't have many connections in the area and are in need of<br>
solidarity. So far we have only talked to Lauren and the last
we<br>
heard she was about to be put in an orange jumpsuit and had been
told<br>
that they were on a federal hold and there would be no offer of
bail.<br>
The US marshalls were said to be the ones holding them.<br><br>
Before that she told us that they would go before a judge on
Tuesday-<br>
I guess that's the first day courts are in session. We are all on
the<br>
east coast, but have managed to get connected to some NLG lawyers,
at<br>
least one of whom will be present on Tuesday and can serve as
counsel.<br><br>
We've put up a website:<br>
auburn3.org<br><br>
and have an email: info@auburn3.org or
auburn3@gmail.com<br><br>
Currently we are trying to help as much as possible and are planning<br>
on starting to raise funds for legal costs. We heard that your
group<br>
can possibly help our friends out, especially with organizing<br>
solidarity work.<br><br>
Any questions you have, or any ways we can work together you can
email<br>
us here. Thanks so much in advance for all the work you do for<br>
everyone and for these three. It'd be great to keep each other<br>
posted. As we hear more from Lauren or the lawyers or anyone we
will<br>
let you all know. We'd love to know any additional information
that<br>
you can find out that we may not have access to or be aware of from<br>
over here. Thanks again.<br><br>
Solidarity,<br>
Friends of the Auburn 3<br><br>
Please send urgent letters of support to:<br><br>
LAUREN WEINER X-4198634 BKGF<br>
Sacramento County Main Jail<br>
651 "I" Street<br>
Sacramento, CA 95814<br>
USA<br><br>
ZACHARY JENSON X-4198632 BKGM<br>
Sacramento County Main Jail<br>
651 "I" Street<br>
Sacramento, CA 95814<br>
USA<br><br>
ERIC MCDAVID X-2972521 BKGM<br>
Sacramento County Main Jail<br>
651 "I" Street<br>
Sacramento, CA 95814<br>
USA<br>
<b>Sunday, January 15, 2006</b> Last modified: Sunday, January 15, 2006
1:33 AM PST <br>
<a href="http://www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2006/01/15/news/top_stories/01arrests.txt" eudora="autourl">
http://www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2006/01/15/news/top_stories/01arrests.txt</a>
<br><br>
<br>
Auburn arrests in alleged bomb plot<br><br>
By: <a href="mailto:PenneU@goldcountrymedia.com">Penne Usher</a>, Journal
Staff Writer<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
John Cauthen, special agent with the Sacramento FBI office, said Friday
that the arrest was related to the Earth Liberation Front eco-terror
group.<br><br>
"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.<br><br>
The three did not resist arrest, Ernst said.<br><br>
"The arrest was based on probable cause at this time," she
said. "A criminal complain is anticipated to be filed early next
week."<br><br>
Ernst said the criminal complaint and accompanying affidavit will lay out
the foundation for the charges. More information is expected in the
following days.<br><br>
At this point, authorities said the arrest in not in direct connection to
the planting of any bombs.<br><br>
"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.<br><br>
According to an FBI press release, Jenson, Weiner, and McDavid were
intending to use explosives to also destroy "unspecified power
generation facilities."<br><br>
FBI officials said there is no information to indicate there is an
immediate danger to public welfare or safety.<br><br>
This is not the first time the Earth Liberation Front has struck in the
Auburn area.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
"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."<br><br>
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.<br><br>
<i>The Journal's <a href="mailto:PenneU@goldcountrymedia.com">Penne
Usher</a> can be reached at
<a href="mailto:penneu@goldcountrymedia.com">
penneu@goldcountrymedia.com</a>.<br><br>
</i></font><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
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