01/20/2006
Animal
Liberation Front (ALF) and Earth Liberation Front (ELF)
Members Indicted by Federal Grand Jury on Conspiracy and Arson Charges
PORTLAND, OREGON - United States Attorney Karin J. Immergut announced
today that a grand jury in Eugene, Oregon, has returned a 65-count indictment
charging eleven (11) defendants with conspiracy and related offenses
covering arsons and attempted arsons that occurred from l996 through
200l in Oregon and four other Western states. The indictment alleges
that the defendants, who called themselves "The Family", acted
as a cell of groups commonly referred to as the Earth Liberation Front
(ELF) and the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). This case was jointly investigated
by the FBI, ATF, Eugene Police Department, Bureau of Land Management,
U.S. Forest Service, Oregon State Police, and Lane County Sheriff's
Office.
According to the
indictment, by their actions the defendants 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.
"I want to
praise the hard work of all participating law enforcement agencies in
this case. Because of their relentless efforts to solve these cases,
after nine years, we are finally able to begin the process of holding
the appropriate environmental extremists responsible," stated U.S.
Attorney Karin Immergut.
Arsons and related
crimes included in the conspiracy charges are:
(1) October 28,
l996 - arson and attempted arson at the U.S. Forest Service's Detroit
Ranger Station in Detroit, Oregon;
(2) October 30, l996 - arson at the U.S. Forest Service's Oakridge Ranger
Station near Oakridge, Oregon;
(3) July 2l, l997 - arson at Cavel West, Inc. in Redmond, Oregon;
(4) November 30, l997 - arson at the Bureau of Land Management Wild
Horse and Burro Facility near Burns, Oregon;
(5) June 2l, l998 - arson at the National Wildlife Research Facility
in Olympia, Washington;
(6) October ll, l998 - attempted arson at the Bureau of Land Management
Wild Horse Holding Facility near Rock Springs, Wyoming;
(7) October l9, l998 - arson at the Vail Ski Facility in Eagle County,
Colorado;
(8) December 22 and 27, l998 - arson and attempted arson at U.S. Forest
Industries, Medford, Oregon;
(9) May 9, l999 - arson at Childers Meat Company, Eugene, Oregon;
(l0) December 25, l999 - arson at the office of the Boise Cascade Company
in Monmouth, Oregon;
(ll) December 30, l999 - destruction of an energy facility high-voltage
tower near Bend, Oregon;
(l2) September 6, 2000 - arson at the Eugene, Oregon, Police Department
West University Public Safety Station;
(l3) January 2, 200l - arson at Superior Lumber Company, Glendale, Oregon;
(l4) March 30, 200l - arson and destruction of 35 trucks and SUVs at
Joe Romania Chevrolet Truck Center, Eugene, Oregon;
(l5) May 2l, 200l - arson and attempted arson at the Jefferson Poplar
Farm, Clatskanie, Oregon;
(l6) May 2l, 200l - arson at the University of Washington Horticulture
Center, Seattle, Washington;
(l7) October l5, 200l - arson at the Bureau of Land Management Wild
Horse Facility, Litchfield, California.
Six of the defendants
charged in the conspiracy were charged in other federal indictments
in the last two months covering Oregon arsons and destruction of an
energy facility: Chelsea Dawn Gerlach, age 28; Sarah Kendall Harvey,
age 28; Daniel Gerard McGowan, age 3l; Stanislas Gregory Meyerhoff,
age 28; Josephine Sunshine Overaker, age 31; and Kevin Tubbs, age 36.
Additional defendants
in the new conspiracy indictment are: Joseph Dibee, age 38; Jonathan
Mark Christopher Paul, age 39; Rebecca Rubin, age 32; Suzanne Savoie,
age 28; and Darren Todd Thurston, age 34. Eight defendants were arrested
prior to indictment, and Dibee, Overaker and Rubin are believed to be
outside the United States.
The indictment states
that the group committed arsons with improvised incendiary devices made
from milk jugs, petroleum products and homemade timers in a series of
attacks in the five states. The targets of these attacks included U.S.
Forest Service ranger stations, Bureau of Land Management wild horse
facilities, meat processing companies, lumber companies, a high-tension
power line, and a ski facility in Colorado. The indictment alleges that
the group claimed to be acting on behalf of ALF and ELF.
An indictment is
not evidence of guilt. The defendants named in this indictment are presumed
innocent unless and until proven guilty.
To see a copy of
the indictment click
here.
The case is being
handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ray in Eugene, Assistant U.S.
Attorney Kirk Engdall in Eugene, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen
F. Peifer in Portland. For further information, contact Diane Peterson,
Public Information Officer, at 503-727-l066.
