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FBI arrests militia members in NW Ohio and SE Michigan

March 29, 2010 - AnnArbor.com - 9 Hutaree members face federal charges of conspiracy, attempting to use weapons of mass destruction

The indictment charges Hutaree is an anti-government extremist organization that advocates violence against local, state and federal law enforcement. Since at least 2008, members have been meeting regularly and conducting military-style training in Lenawee County to prepare for "war with their enemy," the indictment says.

The indictments were released this morning [March 29], two days after numerous raids in southeast Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Among those charged are six Michigan residents, two Ohio residents and one Indiana resident.

The federal indictment charges that the leader of Hutaree David Brian Stone (known as RD), was plotting to kill an unspecified member of law enforcement. It says the plan was to kill an officer and then attack law enforcement vehicles with improvised explosive devices when officers gathered for that officer's funeral.

After the attack, Hutaree members would retreat to one of several "rally points" to wage war against the government and be prepared to defend with "trip-wired and command detonated anti-personnel improvised explosive devices, ambushes, and prepared fighting positions," the indictment says. That action, Hutaree believed, would serve as a catalyst for a more widespread uprising against the government, the indictment says.

U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan said in a statement that the Hutaree had "planned a covert reconnaissance operation for April, which had the potential of placing an unsuspecting member at risk."

According to the indictment, several local Hutaree members attempted to travel to Kentucky for a summit of militia groups on Feb. 6. David Brian Stone is accused of researching IEDs over the Internet and of soliciting a person to provide four IEDs to take to the summit, the indictment says.

The indictment also charges that members gathered materials necessary for the manufacturing of such devices. It accuses David Brian Stone and David Brian Stone Jr. of teaching other Hutaree members how to make and use explosive devices.


March 29


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created by jr on Mar 29, 2010 at 11:10:31 am
updated by jr on Mar 29, 2010 at 12:06:30 pm     News     Comments: 43

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Comments ... #

Historically Lenawee County has always been a region of residents who are "a little different".

posted by justareviewer on Mar 29, 2010 at 11:58:24 am     #  

The fact that they don't sell beer on Sunday is reason enough to avoid the place.

posted by Ryan on Mar 29, 2010 at 12:07:54 pm     #  

Any Toledo Talk commenters arrested in this raid? Let's get a roll call of the usual suspects to make sure everybody is okay.

posted by ifXthenWhyNot on Mar 29, 2010 at 01:58:44 pm     #  

morons

posted by toledolen_ on Mar 29, 2010 at 02:05:05 pm     #  

Half of them are mom, dad and the kids...

posted by billy on Mar 29, 2010 at 02:07:39 pm     #  

story is already on boingboing: http://www.boingboing.net/2010/03/29/christian-militia-gr.html

posted by upso on Mar 29, 2010 at 02:57:08 pm     #  

"Any Toledo Talk commenters arrested in this raid? Let's get a roll call of the usual suspects to make sure everybody is okay."

ifXthenWhyNot, thanks for your concern, but when I arrived in the Michigan backwoods driving my little Honda Civic and wearing Birkenstock sandals, baggy blue jeans, Mud Hens ball cap, and a Scooby-Doo shirt I bought at the Goodwill store and carrying a Moleskine notebook with a Fisher Space Pen and brandishing a .410 bolt action shotgun, they laughed and called me Elly May Clampett and said, "We're not trying to overthrow a coffee shop." I said I preferred loose-leaf tea if that helps, but that made things worse. They gave me and my rice-burner a 10-second head start, proving what I've always believed, which is hard core coffee drinkers are the most extremist people on the planet.

posted by jr on Mar 29, 2010 at 03:09:44 pm     #  

I heard that LimeDrops got arrested and was denied bail. It's always the ones you'd never suspect...

posted by madjack on Mar 29, 2010 at 03:25:36 pm     #  

And, while I'm at it, thank for the post JR.

posted by madjack on Mar 29, 2010 at 03:29:19 pm     #  

Kind of reminded me of the guys I used to play paintball with. Maybe they graduated to the "heavier" stuff (like going from pot to "coke"). Anyone see Ted Nugent among them?

posted by oldsendbrdy on Mar 29, 2010 at 05:09:56 pm     #  

posted by toledolen_ on Mar 29, 2010 at 06:53:50 pm     #  

Ugliness on the inside and out......literally. What killed me were clips of the locals in these areas who "claimed" they were shocked and wouldn't have thought this activity could happen in their county. Goes to show what some people actually think is a legit cultural norm. Anyone see the movie "The Hills Have Eyes"?

posted by djimpelr on Mar 29, 2010 at 10:57:01 pm     #  

I'm still reading about this group and it's members, but the shame of it all is that they felt or still feel that a revolution and taking over of government is the only choice left.
I guess they reached their limit on abuse of power, lying, cheating, and screwing the public by politicians and government. Over 200 years ago they would have been called patriots.
I'd be surprised if this is the only group in the news in the next few months.

posted by hockeyfan on Mar 30, 2010 at 12:03:25 am     #  

You can call them patriots if you like. I call them ugly, stupid, un-American, terrorists.

And with all of the vitriol and hate encouraged by Palin, Beck, and the rest of Fox News I won't be be surprised either.

posted by toledolen_ on Mar 30, 2010 at 12:09:38 am     #  

Yes, I've seen The Hills Have Eyes, one, two and three. The original was pretty good.

As far as vitriolic hate goes, the Stupid Party has nothing on the Moonbats. Except guns, that is. Moonbats are unarmed, by definition.

I doubt there was a serious threat here. More likely the government was looking for drugs and weapons violations, and it's a good excuse to flex authoritarian muscle in front of the sheeple.

posted by madjack on Mar 30, 2010 at 12:18:37 am     #  

did you read the stories about this madjack? kind of sounds like a REAL serious threat.. from boingboing:

"Nine members of a Christian militia group known as Hutaree were today indicted on multiple charges involving an alleged plot to attack police, including seditious conspiracy and attempted use of weapons of mass destruction, announced the U.S. Attorney in Michigan...

...The website makes much reference to a "Christian Republic," "end time battles," and the voices of "Christian martyrs," "Jesus warriors," and talk of "Jesus and the ten virgins." If you translated this website into Arabic, you'd have the sort of stuff that's presented to America as the reason we're in Afghanistan and Iraq."

posted by upso on Mar 30, 2010 at 12:21:59 am     #  

Yes, Upso, I read the stories. Do you really think the commercial media will fail to sensationalize everything possible about this group? Consider the small numbers involved. This isn't a huge group - it's small and would likely expire if left alone.

If you translated this website into Arabic

Yeah, and if my office chair had wings I could fly it. Why are you so afraid of Christians, anyway? Are you hiding something?

posted by madjack on Mar 30, 2010 at 09:21:42 am     #  

I think in the end these guys talked the talk but wouldn't have pulled anything off because they're inbred, knuckle dragging, mouth breathing bozos.

When they stand tall before the man and we'll get a better feel for their ability to truly rise to their level of stupidity.

posted by bobo on Mar 30, 2010 at 09:33:14 am     #  

I wonder if the same words were used to describe our forefathers when they were planning the revolution? Were they crazy?
I'm saying I support them or their plan, just wondering about the similarities.

posted by hockeyfan on Mar 30, 2010 at 11:54:04 am     #  

How big was Timothy McVeigh's group Madjack?

posted by SensorG on Mar 30, 2010 at 11:55:09 am     #  

No shit SensorG. Some people are so in hate with the current administration they can even rationalize something like this. Scary.

posted by Ryan on Mar 30, 2010 at 12:12:43 pm     #  

whoops, I just re-read my post. It should say, "I'm not saying I support them or their plan". Good grief, maybe a Freudian slip. lol

posted by hockeyfan on Mar 30, 2010 at 02:04:14 pm     #  

careful hockeyfan or the FBI are going to be knocking on your door too! ;)

posted by upso on Mar 30, 2010 at 02:06:41 pm     #  

I wonder if the same words were used to describe our forefathers when they were planning the revolution?

Apples and oranges. Our forefathers did not take up arms without trying to settle the conflict peaceably first. I doubt many of these nutsos tried anything beyond angry screeds on the internet before they decided that an armed uprising was their only choice.

posted by Ace_Face on Mar 30, 2010 at 02:14:36 pm     #  

I'm loving the video soundtrack. It's the Sisters of Mercy, a flamboyant (in a goth way) and semi-notorious British band from the 80's. Nothing embodies the values of the rust-belt Christian Right Militia movement like a brooding, occasionally androgynous, post-punk, bohemian, junkie-chic hipster/musician.

posted by SavageFred on Mar 30, 2010 at 02:49:44 pm     #  

Ace_Face, you are correct. I'm not 100% sure, but I'll search it, there was attempts at a peaceful change before our forefathers took up arms.

posted by hockeyfan on Mar 30, 2010 at 09:16:59 pm     #  

There seemed to be a fairly strong emphasis on this being a "Christian" group in the news blurbs I've read...

Do they emphasize "Muslim" or "Islam" during various terror investigations....

Maybe Hollywood and parts of the Media are correct, the Christian extremists ARE just as dangerous as the Muslim extremists.

Something that makes you go "Hmmmmmm....."

posted by frigus_veritas on Mar 30, 2010 at 10:36:13 pm     #  

WTF does Hollywood have to do with this? LOL

posted by toledolen_ on Mar 30, 2010 at 10:53:20 pm     #  

When they gonna tax the crap out of hollywood?

posted by Linecrosser on Mar 31, 2010 at 02:19:24 am     #  

What are you talking about frigus_veritas?

You've never heard the words Muslim and terrorism used with the same vigor? You must not watch news and certainly don’t watch much Fox News do?

http://www.foxnews.com/search-results/search?q=islamic+terrorist

Personally, I have no use for ANY religion that preaches violence.

posted by SensorG on Mar 31, 2010 at 08:59:55 am     #  

Do you think they got read their Miranda rights? I thought terrorists are to be turned over to the CIA and treated as enemy combatants and sent to gitmo.

Where is Lindsey Graham when you need him. Or is the problem that their skin's not brown?

posted by bobo on Mar 31, 2010 at 11:46:17 am     #  

I can hardly wait till their court trial and see them in handcuffs and leg shackles with a couple burly sheriff deputies keeping an eye on them. Dang! what a great Hollywood film this could make.

posted by flinty on Mar 31, 2010 at 12:10:00 pm     #  

posted by toledolen_ on Mar 31, 2010 at 01:41:26 pm     #  

That foto for some reason reminds me of that movie 'Gummo'.

posted by djimpelr on Mar 31, 2010 at 10:12:08 pm     #  

Creepy: spam for a payday cash advance using "Christian militia" as a hyperlink. I suppose apocalyptic warriors are probably not concerned about paying back loans, but still, this is a strange moment in link-spam.

posted by historymike on Apr 01, 2010 at 08:08:55 am     #  

Do they emphasize "Muslim" or "Islam" during various terror investigations....

No. Commercial media wouldn't want to be anything less than completely politically correct.

posted by madjack on Apr 01, 2010 at 08:33:53 am     #  

Apr 1, 2010 - Toledo Blade - 8 indicted in plot to kill police officer plead not guilty :

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Waterstreet also said that David Brian Stone, Sr., 44, the leader of the Lenawee County-based group, wanted to control Lenawee, Hills­dale, and Washtenaw counties by driving out police from southeast Michigan.

“It's not about a religious group. It's not about the militia. It's about a group who decided to oppose by force the U.S. by using violence and weapons,” Mr. Waterstreet said.

They are all charged with seditious conspiracy, attempting to use weapons of mass destruction, and two counts of possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted, they could spend the rest of their lives in prison.

Mr. Waterstreet said that Mr. Clough acted as the group's information officer and explosives expert and had shown the FBI agent who infiltrated the organization a list of important judges, teachers, elected officials, and local business leaders whom the Hutaree wanted killed.

He said that in discussions about the government Mr. Meeks wanted the entire judicial system eliminated and everyone involved killed.

posted by jr on Apr 01, 2010 at 11:16:07 am     #  

Blade said one of them was a registered Democrat, go figure.

posted by Linecrosser on Apr 01, 2010 at 12:04:10 pm     #  

http://toledoblade.com/article/20100401/NEWS02/4010401/0/BUSINESS03

Around the time the plans were formulated, Mr. Sickles allegedly told another militia member that he had shot his cat to prepare himself for future attacks.

Mr. Waterstreet quoted Mr. Sickles as saying: “I did it to see if I could do it, to see if I could kill something I had a feeling for.”

+++
real nice people

posted by toledolen_ on Apr 01, 2010 at 07:43:21 pm     #  

"...he had shot his cat ..."

Maybe he read Toledo Talk: Shooting cats.

posted by jr on Apr 01, 2010 at 11:53:46 pm     #  

Well, at least he didn't feel like Abraham, and took a son to sacrifice. Those voices can make you do strange things.

posted by oldsendbrdy on Apr 02, 2010 at 12:01:21 am     #  

Linecrosser, that doesn't mean squat. http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1723756,00.html

posted by toledolen_ on Apr 02, 2010 at 01:56:56 pm     #  

Speak of the devil... http://glasscityjungle.com/wordpress/2010/04/switching-parties-and-the-law-should-be-the-law/

posted by toledolen_ on Apr 02, 2010 at 04:10:22 pm     #  

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