Paul pleads guilty to eco-arson

Medford Mail Tribune ^ | 11-10-06 | Paul Fattig

[jazusamo]

Greensprings man calls it 'unacceptable means to an end'; 3 others admit guilt

By paul fattig

Mail Tribune

EUGENE — Greensprings resident Jonathan Paul pleaded guilty Thursday to arson and conspiracy to commit arson in a 1997 firebombing of a horse slaughterhouse in Redmond.

Paul, 40, also repudiated violence as a way to protect the environment or animals during a plea hearing with three other defendants in the new U.S. District Court here. All four had been arrested in the federal government's "Operation Backfire" investigation of Animal Liberation Front and Earth Liberation Front activities beginning in fall 1996 and continuing through fall 2001.

[dfwgator]

Send him to Gitmo with the other terrorists.

[jazusamo]

Story link doesn't work for me, here's another.

http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2006/1110/local/stories/paul-pleads.htm

[Bean Counter]

The question I still have is how much longer are they going to screw areound before they bring Tre Arrow back from Canuckistan to stand trial...

[jocon307]

I'm very glad the FEds finally cracked down on these dangerous folks. It's easy enough to renounce violence from the safety of the dock.

[jazusamo]

Good question, I'm praying they don't forget about him.

[rottndog]

A five-year sentence has been recommended for Paul, whom prosecutors say was a member of the ALF at the time the slaughterhouse was destroyed by fire on July 21, 1997. The plant, which suffered more than $1 million in damage, was not rebuilt.

The arson charge carries a potential maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

5 years for destroying a million dollars in property. Not nearly enough.

[jazusamo]

Yep, and this Paul guy inherited a lot of money and is a millionaire now. That may be another reason he's renounced violence now.

[jazusamo]

5 years for destroying a million dollars in property. Not nearly enough.

You're right. I thought they were going to come down hard on this guy, like 20 years. He got off way too easy.

[rottndog]

But he apologized and swore to be good!

[girlangler]

" . . . inherited a lot of money and is a millionaire now . . . "

That's probably his problem right there, his parents probably never taught him any values or responsibility, and bought him out of or excused everything thing he's ever done.

Then again, maybe they DID teach him their values.

[jazusamo]

I think you probably nailed it.

He lived in Greensprings, OR which is right up the hill from the Socialist Republic of Ashland, OR. That could have something to do with it also.

[VOA]

I'm very glad the FEds finally cracked down on these dangerous folks.

It made my day (some months ago) when I heard that the FBI had "ecoterrorists"
just below Islamic terrorists on their threat/hit list.

[Jacquerie]

He got off way too easy.

Like Lynne Stewart. But their hearts were in the right place so why not a wrist slap?

/s

[proud_yank]

Wow, must have taken a lot of consumption/consumerism for his folks to get those millions!

[Slings and Arrows]

Yep, and this Paul guy inherited a lot of money and is a millionaire now. That may be another reason he's renounced violence now.

Then it's worth the trouble of the slaughterhouse's owners to after him with a civil suit. He may not be a millionaire when he gets out of the pokey.

[jazusamo]

Good point, I've been following this story on these terrorists for about a year and I think you're the first one that's brought it up, I hope they pursue it.

There's a dozen or more people involved in this. There's three wanted that haven't been caught yet, they think they're out of the country. One guy that was arrested in Northern AZ around the first of the year hung himself in his jail cell in Flagstaff.

[Ignatz]

Paul, 40, also repudiated violence as a way to protect the environment

So, he's a criminal AND a hypocrite. Typical Lib.