Yesterday brought Grand Jury indictments of 16 people related to the Oregon refuge standoff.
These are the defendants named in the indictments: Ammon Bundy, 40, of Emmett, Idaho; Jon Ritzheimer, 32, of Peoria, Arizona; Joseph O'Shaughnessy, 43, of Cottonwood, Arizona; Ryan Payne, 32, of Anaconda, Montana; Ryan Bundy, of Bunkerville, Nevada; Brian Cavalier,44, of Bunkerville, Nevada; Shawna Cox, 59, of Kanab, Utah; Peter Santilli 50, of Cincinnati; Jason Patrick, 43, of Bonaire, Georgia; Duane Leo Ehmer, 45, of Irrigon; Dylan Anderson; Sean Anderson ,47; David Lee Fry, 27, of Blanchester, Ohio; Jeff Wayne Banta, 46, of Elko, Nevada; Sandra Lynn Pfeifer Anderson, 15; and Kenneth Medenbach. source
Should I stay?
So-called “press” member Pete Santilli returned to court Thursday seeking release, but the court denied the release saying he would be held until trial:
U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman said Santilli’s history does not favor detention and that the weight of the evidence cuts in his favor.
However, Mosman said he believes Santilli’s confession to having many registered and unregistered guns will pose a risk to law enforcement. source
So for now, the public won’t have to listen to this insulting, instigating, bullhorn-toting blow-hard. That’s good news.
Jon Ritzheimer (aka “Ritzcracker”), faced an Arizona federal magistrate and was denied bail Thursday and will be held for trial. It is assumed that Jon will be moved to Oregon at some point soon. Here is the order (click on it to enlarge):
Jon has quite a history perhaps best summed up here at the Washington Post:
“We don’t see much overlap between these causes,” she [Heidi Beirich, who heads the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project] said. “Anti-government activists are usually focused on gun rights or federal land policies, or they don’t believe the federal government should be able to collect taxes.”
But Ritzheimer, she said, “is up there saying things like ‘we’re going to fight to the death.’ He’s taken his crazy from one world to the next.”
Or Should I go?
Of those indicted, Shawna Cox was released first. She was actually mistakedly released last Friday but received a call to return to get a GPS ankle bracelet and court stipulations on Monday and was denied her request to attend the Finicum funeral, among other stipulations to her release. Transcript of the release hearing is here.
On Thursday, however, attorney’s for Ms. Cox filed an emergency appeal asking she be allowed to attend the funeral. No word yet on the court’s decision. I, personally, was not at all happy that she was released, but one has to trust the court on this which knows one heck of a lot more than I do about law.
On Thursday, the court decided to release Duane Leo Ehmer, famous for riding his horse, Hellboy, through the refuge with an American flag, citing his need to continue working as an independent welder. Again, the court required a GPS ankle bracelet and applied stipulations [unavailable at this time] to his release. The motion for his release is here. Word has it his wife is pretty pissed at him for his ridiculous antics.
On video taken by David Fry (aka Pop Tart) post Bundy arrests/shooting when Ehmer remained on the site, it appears to be Ehmer on a backhoe excavating enormous defense trenches for the group on sacred lands. To me, this was far more shocking than the fence cutting.
The hearing for Brian Cavalier (aka “Fluffy Unicorn”, a name he gave himself; also known as “Booda” or “King Booda” [sic]) was held over until Friday the 5th at 1:30pm.
Cavalier has been associated with the Bundy family as a personal “body guard” since the Cliven standoff of 2014. He was arrested with Ammon Bundy in a jeep driven by Mark McConnell who was held but later released the night of the arrests/shooting. Cavalier was found to be faking his military experience, something knows as stolen valor:
But Daily Mail Online has learned that Cavalier, 44, has faked his military background to appear more credible as a militia henchman - a fact sure to anger some of the group's supporters.
According to US Marine Corp records Cavalier has never served as a Marine, whether it be as a recruit or a Marine Corps contractor. source
In reality, the heavily tattooed Cavalier is a tattoo artist with previous convictions for DUI (several including one purportedly for extreme DUI) and theft, convictions that prohibit him from carrying a weapon. Nonetheless, he has often been photographed carrying weapons.
After being outed for stolen valor, Cavalier left the refuge and was arrested and released in Arizona on an unknown criminal warrant, eventually returning to the refuge. The New York Times reported that Arizona law does not allow for release of arrest warrant details.
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On a related note, this week, Bundy family members have told just about everyone where to go. And where not to stay.
Jailbird Ammon Bundy instructed the remaining and indicted four refuge terrorists, PopTart and the Loons, not to stay, to go. Papa Cliven, however, insisted they stay and not go.
Just today, however, in a short statement recorded by his attorney and released to the public (see bottom tweet), a seemingly hostile Ammon instructed all the state and federal police to go; as in far from Harney County while instructing the Harney citizens to go to the refuge and claim it for themselves. He really believes his own BS.
Meanwhile, the Pacific Patriots Network told everyone to go to Burns for yet another Saturday protest. Changing their mind, they then instructed everyone not to go afterall. So stay. Or go to the Holy Cross of TarpMan on I-395 and stay for a Saturday ceremony.
Even a crazy patriot terrorist noted they were all getting whiplash. That might be the only truthful, non-conspiratorial observation from the nut basket all month.
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I can relate.
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We’re hoping, Ammon. We’re hoping.
UPDATE: Shawna Cox given permission by the court to attend Finicum funeral. Here.