EUGENE, Ore., June 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken sentenced the final defendant in the conspiracy case involving twenty acts of arson committed by members of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), the Justice Department announced.
The ten defendants acted in an underground cell of what they called "The Family." In their previously entered guilty pleas, the defendants acknowledged that they, and their group, sought to influence and affect the conduct of government, private business, and the civilian population through force, violence, sabotage, mass destruction, intimidation and coercion, and to retaliate against government and private businesses by similar means. The investigation of the environmental extremists involved multiple federal, state and local law enforcement and spanned over nine years.
"Today's sentence is a fitting culmination to the largest prosecution of environmental extremists in U.S. history. These defendants were responsible for a broad campaign of domestic terrorism that spanned five states, included roughly 20 arsons or attempted arsons, and caused more than $40 million in property damage. The lengthy sentences should serve notice to others who use violence to further their causes," said Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales.
"We are pleased with the sentences imposed by Judge Aiken in this matter," stated U.S. Attorney Karin J. Immergut. "They are significant sentences that reflect the seriousness of the crimes committed by the defendants in this case. This is the largest case of environmental extremists ever prosecuted in the United States. This successful investigation and prosecution would not have been possible had it not been for the intense and dogged persistence of all of the law enforcement agencies involved who worked collaboratively and cooperatively on the local, state and federal levels."
The defendants were sentenced to the following prison terms for the charges listed:
1. Stanislas Gregory Meyerhoff (age 29) - 156 months
-- October 11, 1998 -- attempted arson at the Wild Horse Holding Facility near Rock Springs,Wyoming. -- October 19, 1998 -- arson at the Vail Ski Facility in Eagle County,
Colorado
-- May 9, 1999 -- arson at Childers Meat Company, Eugene, Oregon
-- December 25, 1999 -- arson at the office of the Boise Cascade
Company in Monmouth, Oregon
-- December 30, l999 -- destruction of a Bonneville Power
Administration energy facility high-voltage tower near Bend, Oregon
-- September 6, 2000 -- arson at the Eugene, Oregon, Police Department
West University Public Safety Station
-- January 2, 2001 -- arson at Superior Lumber Company, Glendale,
Oregon
-- March 30, 2001 -- arson and destruction of 35 SUVs at Joe Romania
Chevrolet Truck Center, Eugene, Oregon
-- May 21, 2001 -- arson and attempted arson at the Jefferson Poplar
Farm, Clatskanie, Oregon
-- October 15, 2001 -- arson at the Bureau of Land Management Wild
Horse Facility, Litchfield, California
2. Kevin Tubbs (age 38) - 151 months
-- October 30, 1996 -- arson at the U.S. Forest Service Oakridge
Ranger Station near Oakridge, Oregon
-- July 2l, 1997 -- arson at Cavel West, Inc. in Redmond, Oregon
-- November 30, 1997 -- arson at the Bureau of Land Management Wild
Horse and Burro Facility near Burns, Oregon
-- October 11, 1998 -- attempted arson at the Bureau of Land
Management Wild Horse Holding Facility near Rock Springs, Wyoming
-- December 22 and 27, 1998 -- arson and attempted arson at U.S.
Forest Industries, Medford, Oregon
-- May 9, 1999 -- arson at Childers Meat Company, Eugene, Oregon
-- September 6, 2000 -- arson at the Eugene, Oregon, Police Department
West University Public Safety Station
-- January 2, 2001 -- arson at Superior Lumber Company, Glendale,
Oregon
-- March 30, 2001 -- arson and destruction of 35 SUVs at Joe Romania
Chevrolet Truck Center, Eugene, Oregon
-- October 15, 2001 -- arson at the Bureau of Land Management Wild
Horse Facility, Litchfield, California
3. Chelsea Dawn Gerlach (age 30) - 108 months
-- October 11, 1998 -- attempted arson at the Bureau of Land
Management Wild Horse Holding Facility near Rock Springs, Wyoming
-- October 19, 1998 -- arson at the Vail Ski Facility in Eagle County,
Colorado
-- May 9, 1999 -- arson at Childers Meat Company, Eugene, Oregon
-- December 25, 1999 -- arson at the office of the Boise Cascade
Company in Monmouth, Oregon
-- December 30, l999 -- destruction of a Bonneville Power
Administration energy facility high-voltage tower near Bend, Oregon
-- September 6, 2000 -- arson at the Eugene, Oregon, Police Department
West University Public Safety Station
-- May 21, 2001 -- arson and attempted arson at the Jefferson Poplar
Farm, Clatskanie, Oregon
4. Nathan Fraser Block (age 26) - 92 months
-- March 30, 2001 -- arson and destruction of 35 SUVs at Joe Romania
Chevrolet Truck Center, Eugene, Oregon
-- May 21, 2001 -- arson and attempted arson at the Jefferson Poplar
Farm, Clatskanie, Oregon
5. Joyanna L. Zacher (age 29) - 92 months
-- March 30, 2001 -- arson and destruction of 35 SUVs at Joe Romania
Chevrolet Truck Center, Eugene, Oregon
-- May 21, 2001 -- arson and attempted arson at the Jefferson Poplar
Farm, Clatskanie, Oregon
6. Suzanne Nichole Savoie (age 29) - 51 months
-- January 2, 2001 -- arson at Superior Lumber Company, Glendale,
Oregon
-- May 21, 2001 - arson and attempted arson at the Jefferson Poplar
Farm, Clatskanie, Oregon
7. Kendall Tankersley (age 30) - 46 months
-- December 22 and 27, 1998 -- arson and attempted arson at U.S.
Forest Industries, Medford, Oregon
8. Darren Todd Thurston (age 37) - 37 months
-- October 15, 2001 -- arson at the Bureau of Land Management Wild
Horse Facility, Litchfield, California
9. Jonathan Mark Christopher Paul (age 41) - 51 months
-- July 2l, 1997 -- arson at Cavel West, Inc. in Redmond, Oregon
10. Daniel Gerard McGowan (age 33) - 84 months
-- January 2, 2001 -- arson at Superior Lumber Company, Glendale,
Oregon
-- May 21, 2001 -- arson and attempted arson at the Jefferson Poplar
Farm, Clatskanie, Oregon
"If this case proves anything, it is that the FBI and its partners on the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and in other law enforcement agencies are absolutely committed to defeating terrorism in this country," said Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Jordan. "We will not let those who inspire fear and commit criminal acts with the intent of changing the policies of our government or her people succeed. Whether a case takes one day or ten years, we will pursue it until we can ensure justice for our shared community."
"ATF is pleased to have provided its expertise in arson investigations to this case, demonstrating once again that no one is entitled to take the law into their own hands," said Special Agent in Charge Kelvin N. Crenshaw, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Other members of the conspiracy took part in the following arsons:
(1) October 28, l996 -- arson and attempted arson at the U.S. Forest
Service's Detroit Ranger Station in Detroit, Oregon;
(2) June 21, 1998 -- arson at the National Wildlife Research Facility in
Olympia, Washington; and
(3) May 2l, 200l -- arson at the University of Washington Horticulture
Center, Seattle, Washington.
Three other charged defendants are international fugitives: Joseph Dibee, Rebecca Rubin and Josephine Sunshine Overaker.
These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kirk Engdall, Stephen Peifer and John Ray. The ALF/ELF arson conspiracy was jointly investigated over a nine year period by the FBI, ATF, Oregon Department of Justice, Eugene Police Department, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Oregon State Police and Lane County Sheriff's Office.
CONTACT: Gerri Badden
PHONE: 503-727-1033
SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice
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