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Ecosaboteurs in Northwestern US Trip Over Each Other to Snitch
Four Sentenced Thus Far Have All Turned State's Evidence
For Immediate Release
June 4, 2007
Ecosaboteurs in Northwestern US Trip Over Each Other to Snitch
Four Sentenced Thus Far Have All Turned State's Evidence
Four activists who have confessed to a series of arsons in the northwest US on behalf of animals and the environment have been sentenced to 3 to 13 years, each agreeing to testify against others and provide evidence that will undoubtedly be used to prosecute and imprison their more courageous former comrades. Darren Thurston was sentenced Tuesday to 37 months in prison, joining Stan Meyerhoff, Kevin Tubbs and Chelsea Gerlach in a rush to confess and implicate others in pathetic attempts to lessen their own time behind bars.
Asst. US Atty Stephen Peiffer agreed that Thurston's sentence, although appearing low, was fair in a case where the defendant had cooperated so extensively. He said that Thurston was offered a substantial reduction for his minor role, and because he was only interested in releasing horses and being there for [his girlfriend] Gerlach. He said that Thurston had provided information about a "whole array of activities and other people", beyond what was called for in the current investigation.
To gain sympathy by the judge, both prosecutors and defense lawyers present at sentencing expressed fear of the consequences the defendants will face in prison as known snitches. U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken acknowledged testimony about the violence and sexual abuse that befall "snitches" in prison. Aiken said she will write letters to prison officials to attempt to ensure their safety. Paul Solomon, director of men's services at a local Eugene post-incarceration support service provider, stated that "snitches" are at the bottom of the pecking order in prison, second only to child molesters.
Meyerhoff, Tubbs and Gerlach were sentenced last week, with Meyerhoff receiving 13 years, Tubbs 12 years and 7 months, and Gerlach 9 years in prison. All had pled guilty and agreed to testify against their former comrades, in addition to providing additional evidence. All apologized to those the companies who continue to destroy the environment and exploit and abuse animals. Another snitch, Jacob Ferguson, wore a hidden wire six years after the arsons in order to implicate others involved; he has never served any jail time and reportedly spends his days as a drug addict and part time college student in Eugene.
Press Officer Jerry Vlasak stated: "These cowardly former warriors leave us all with a bad taste in our mouth; they have betrayed the struggle against exploitation of the earth and her inhabitants, and provided comfort to the abusers. Their self-serving fear of incarceration is a serious attempt to demoralize others who continue the fight, and an embarrassment to themselves and the movement. Destruction of ecosystems and rampant mass murder of animals continues while they grovel and beg for mercy."
For more information, visit the North American Animal Liberation Press Office website.
"When a person places the proper value on freedom, there is nothing under the sun that she will not do to acquire that freedom. Whenever you hear a person saying he wants freedom, but in the next breath she is going to tell you what she won't do to get it, or what he doesn't believe in doing in order to get it, he doesn't believe in freedom. A person who believes in freedom will do anything under the sun to acquire...or preserve his freedom."-- Malcolm X
June 4, 2007
Ecosaboteurs in Northwestern US Trip Over Each Other to Snitch
Four Sentenced Thus Far Have All Turned State's Evidence
Four activists who have confessed to a series of arsons in the northwest US on behalf of animals and the environment have been sentenced to 3 to 13 years, each agreeing to testify against others and provide evidence that will undoubtedly be used to prosecute and imprison their more courageous former comrades. Darren Thurston was sentenced Tuesday to 37 months in prison, joining Stan Meyerhoff, Kevin Tubbs and Chelsea Gerlach in a rush to confess and implicate others in pathetic attempts to lessen their own time behind bars.
Asst. US Atty Stephen Peiffer agreed that Thurston's sentence, although appearing low, was fair in a case where the defendant had cooperated so extensively. He said that Thurston was offered a substantial reduction for his minor role, and because he was only interested in releasing horses and being there for [his girlfriend] Gerlach. He said that Thurston had provided information about a "whole array of activities and other people", beyond what was called for in the current investigation.
To gain sympathy by the judge, both prosecutors and defense lawyers present at sentencing expressed fear of the consequences the defendants will face in prison as known snitches. U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken acknowledged testimony about the violence and sexual abuse that befall "snitches" in prison. Aiken said she will write letters to prison officials to attempt to ensure their safety. Paul Solomon, director of men's services at a local Eugene post-incarceration support service provider, stated that "snitches" are at the bottom of the pecking order in prison, second only to child molesters.
Meyerhoff, Tubbs and Gerlach were sentenced last week, with Meyerhoff receiving 13 years, Tubbs 12 years and 7 months, and Gerlach 9 years in prison. All had pled guilty and agreed to testify against their former comrades, in addition to providing additional evidence. All apologized to those the companies who continue to destroy the environment and exploit and abuse animals. Another snitch, Jacob Ferguson, wore a hidden wire six years after the arsons in order to implicate others involved; he has never served any jail time and reportedly spends his days as a drug addict and part time college student in Eugene.
Press Officer Jerry Vlasak stated: "These cowardly former warriors leave us all with a bad taste in our mouth; they have betrayed the struggle against exploitation of the earth and her inhabitants, and provided comfort to the abusers. Their self-serving fear of incarceration is a serious attempt to demoralize others who continue the fight, and an embarrassment to themselves and the movement. Destruction of ecosystems and rampant mass murder of animals continues while they grovel and beg for mercy."
For more information, visit the North American Animal Liberation Press Office website.
"When a person places the proper value on freedom, there is nothing under the sun that she will not do to acquire that freedom. Whenever you hear a person saying he wants freedom, but in the next breath she is going to tell you what she won't do to get it, or what he doesn't believe in doing in order to get it, he doesn't believe in freedom. A person who believes in freedom will do anything under the sun to acquire...or preserve his freedom."-- Malcolm X
For more information:
http://www.animalliberationpressoffice.org
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The author, obviously angry and biased, has failed to do research in these matters. And I believe that the author may be FBI, bent on pulling apart this movement. Any doubts? See cointelpro and many other propaganda methods.
None of the defendants above agreed to testify in court against eachother. The reason for concern where they end up (sexually, emotionally) is that they are not hardened criminals and the men involved are physically small. The Judge agreed that none of them deserve maximum security prison sentences and will do her best to protect them from that.
How the author can say these things in the face of this case (where ALL Defendants are co-operating) is astounding. So anyone caught in the act of defending animals or the earth is automatically abandoned?
The author's attitude towards these cases is detrimental to the solidarity of this movement. Please do your best to call them out whenever you see this kind of hate.
After all... It could be you they are slandering!!!
Just if they decide to turn state's evidence. Then they don't need movement allies anyway at that point, as they have the government to work their deals with as they feed information to authorities.
As for calling a snitch a snitch being "detrimental to the solidarity of this movement," that seems kind of out there. How can there be any solidarity whatsover with people turning state's evidence left and right?
Many people caught for similar "crimes" have simply kept their mouths shut and taken the more severe sentences rather than roll over on former comrades and the movement itself. They are the true heroes. Not those who use excuses like their size or whathaveyou to excuse their snitch behavior. If they can't do the time, well, you know how it goes...
As for calling a snitch a snitch being "detrimental to the solidarity of this movement," that seems kind of out there. How can there be any solidarity whatsover with people turning state's evidence left and right?
Many people caught for similar "crimes" have simply kept their mouths shut and taken the more severe sentences rather than roll over on former comrades and the movement itself. They are the true heroes. Not those who use excuses like their size or whathaveyou to excuse their snitch behavior. If they can't do the time, well, you know how it goes...
as the old saying goes "if you can't do the time..."
sit at home and slag folks on the internet! seriously, this article and the attitude it resents is going to got a lot farther towards weakening the movement than any ruling aiken could pass down.
consider this: ferguson wore a wire and recorded ober 60 cd's worth of material. meyerhoff immediately started turning state's evidence and provided the needed corroboration to ferguson, who would have been a fairly vulnerable witness for the gov in any case what with being a heroin user and all. once that material was in the bag the case for the government was won, what could tubbs, gerlach, thurston et al have hoped to have gained for the movement through silence? zero.
to ask gerlach, tubbs and thurston to 'hold firm' in the face of certain defeat is to ask them to throw away years of their lives for nothing more than the sake of appearances. i am surprised and saddened at how many people out there have felt comfortable not just asking, but demanding, that.
sit at home and slag folks on the internet! seriously, this article and the attitude it resents is going to got a lot farther towards weakening the movement than any ruling aiken could pass down.
consider this: ferguson wore a wire and recorded ober 60 cd's worth of material. meyerhoff immediately started turning state's evidence and provided the needed corroboration to ferguson, who would have been a fairly vulnerable witness for the gov in any case what with being a heroin user and all. once that material was in the bag the case for the government was won, what could tubbs, gerlach, thurston et al have hoped to have gained for the movement through silence? zero.
to ask gerlach, tubbs and thurston to 'hold firm' in the face of certain defeat is to ask them to throw away years of their lives for nothing more than the sake of appearances. i am surprised and saddened at how many people out there have felt comfortable not just asking, but demanding, that.
Only faction demanding anything of them is the government, under force of law, and they are complying.
Sure, everyone has an excuse for complying -- too short, they did it first, etc. It sure is easier personally to give in to government demans. Bad for the movement, but good for those who sell out others to buy time for themselves. The system depends on snitches to make deals just like this to make far more progress in their cases against the movement than they could ever make on their own without the snitches.
So, the ALF here is not "demanding" anything because the ALF simply has no leverage from which to demand anything, unlike the government that can twist arms with draconian sentencing threats.
But that doesn't mean that the ALF has to be happy about it, or accept snitches with open arms.
Sure, everyone has an excuse for complying -- too short, they did it first, etc. It sure is easier personally to give in to government demans. Bad for the movement, but good for those who sell out others to buy time for themselves. The system depends on snitches to make deals just like this to make far more progress in their cases against the movement than they could ever make on their own without the snitches.
So, the ALF here is not "demanding" anything because the ALF simply has no leverage from which to demand anything, unlike the government that can twist arms with draconian sentencing threats.
But that doesn't mean that the ALF has to be happy about it, or accept snitches with open arms.
one of only four who refused to name names
obviously, he chose the path less traveled
obviously, he chose the path less traveled
For more information:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/06/0...
this 'article' is so lame. turning state's evidence and taking away other people's options is definitely fucked up, but who is this vlask and why should anyone care what he/she says? and for the record, it was stated:
"Many people caught for similar "crimes" have simply kept their mouths shut and taken the more severe sentences rather than roll over on former comrades and the movement itself."
This is just simply not true. These people were facing multiple decades in prison. No one has refused to cooperate facing a similar amount of time and faired better. It just hasn't happened. I'm not making excuses, just correcting a falsehood.
But this rhetoric is so pathetic and this article and it's author are lame. It's written like it belongs in a supermarket checkout line. Being militant is easy behind a computer screen.
It's always the ones who talk the toughest run the fastest (see: myerhoff and tubbs... and probably the author of the article..).
"Many people caught for similar "crimes" have simply kept their mouths shut and taken the more severe sentences rather than roll over on former comrades and the movement itself."
This is just simply not true. These people were facing multiple decades in prison. No one has refused to cooperate facing a similar amount of time and faired better. It just hasn't happened. I'm not making excuses, just correcting a falsehood.
But this rhetoric is so pathetic and this article and it's author are lame. It's written like it belongs in a supermarket checkout line. Being militant is easy behind a computer screen.
It's always the ones who talk the toughest run the fastest (see: myerhoff and tubbs... and probably the author of the article..).
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