The Department of Justice and the FBI continue to rack up charges and arrests against the men and women who took part in the armed standoffs at the Bundy Ranch in Nevada in 2014 and at the Oregon standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge earlier this year.
The arrest reports started rolling in yesterday when the Bundy Ranch Facebook page began squawking that Dave Bundy, son of Cliven and brother of Ammon, had been arrested at the Bundy Ranch. The Bundy family howled on their Facebook page that their sheriff knew about the pending arrest and didn’t protect ol’ Davey from the feds. It seems the sheriff finally woke up and realized that he too would be fitted for metal cuffs if he tried to stop them.
It was later reported that Mel Bundy, another of Cliven’s sons, who participated in both the Nevada and Oregon standoffs, had also been nabbed in the net of arrests. The feds were just getting started. Let’s take a look at who else they picked up for a likely long occupation of federal jail cells:
Jerry DeLemus
Jerry DeLemus is the co-chair of “Veterans for Trump.” He was also the self-described "commander of the base camp" at the heavily armed Bundy Ranch standoff 2014. He’s married to New Hampshire state representative Susan DeLemus. At his first court appearance yesterday, his fellow faketriots flooded the courtroom:
The crowd sang "God Bless America" Thursday as DeLemus was led out of the courtroom. Supporters held hands and joined in prayer just outside the door to courtroom 4, before declaring "Tyranny has come to New Hampshire" and "This is not my America."
Jerry DeLemus faces nine federal charges that include:
…. conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, threatening a federal law enforcement officer, assault on a federal officer, obstruction of justice, attempting to impede or injure a federal law enforcement officer, interference with interstate commerce by extortion, and several firearms charges, according to court records.
Idaho resident Eric “EJ” Parker was among four Idaho residents arrested yesterday. Eric Parker became famous after photographs showed him pointing his gun directly at federal agents during the standoff near Cliven Bundy’s ranch in Bunkerville, Nevada.
Parker, 32, and Steve Arthur Stewart, 36, both of Hailey, O. Scott Drexler, 44, of Challis and Todd Engel, 48, of Boundary County were taken into custody on charges stemming from the standoff when federal officials tried rounding up cattle that belonged to rancher Cliven Bundy, U.S. Attorney for Idaho Wendy Olson said.
Three of them also face separate earlier charges in the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon.
They are Brian D. Cavalier, 44, of Bunkerville, Nevada, Blaine Cooper, 36 of Humboldt, Arizona, and Joseph D. O'Shaughnessy, 43, of Cottonwood, Arizona. Cavalier and Cooper already are in custody in Oregon. O'Shaughnessy, released from custody on the Oregon charge, was arrested Thursday in Phoenix.
All three men were heavily involved in both the Oregon and Nevada standoffs. The Nevada indictment charges them with helping to organize the armed militants.
And last but not least, the feds picked up two more Bundy brothers who are named in the Nevada indictments:
The indictment also charged three others with roles in the Nevada standoff who had at times appeared at the Oregon wildlife refuge. They have not been charged in Oregon. They included Melvin D. Bundy, 41, of Round Mountain, Nevada, who joined brothers Ammon, 40, of Emmett, Idaho, and Ryan, 43, of Mesquite, Nevada, in the early days of the refuge occupation. The new indictment charged him with being one of the "leaders and organizers" of the Nevada standoff.
That makes five Bundys currently in jail and awaiting trial for a slew of serious federal charges (another is in prison on unrelated charges). The Department of Justice and the FBI are showing no signs of slowing down and even more charges could be pending after the full investigation is complete. And for those who didn’t get pulled in by the feds yesterday? You have good reason to be sweating right now. Turns out that actions do have consequences. Your pocket Constitution didn’t give you immunity after all.
Meanwhile, militant supporters are planning to hold rallies across the country this weekend. Some of them are even helpfully holding them outside of federal buildings, including the FBI building in Los Angeles.