China Jails Environmentalist Wanted in U.S. (ELF Family member)

NY Times ^ | November 27, 2009 | Dan Levin

[jazusamo]

DALI, China — Justin Franchi Solondz, an environmental activist from New Jersey who spent four years evading charges of ecoterrorism in the United States by hiding out in this backpacker haven, was convicted by a Chinese court on Friday of manufacturing drugs.

After serving a three-year sentence, Mr. Solondz, 30, who is on the F.B.I.’s most wanted list, will be deported to the United States, where he faces charges stemming from what the authorities say was his role in an arson rampage that destroyed buildings in three western states as a member of a group related to the environmental extremist organization Earth Liberation Front. He was indicted in absentia in 2006.

The story of Mr. Solondz’s life on the lam spanned three continents, involved at least two aliases and ended in one of the world’s most authoritarian countries.

Mr. Solondz’s journey started in the fall of 2005, when he joined his mother in Italy for a wedding and then traveled around Europe and Asia. He stopped communicating with his parents in March 2006, just before the F.B.I. announced charges against him.

The trail went cold until March 2009, when the Chinese police arrested Mr. Solondz here in the mountains of Yunnan Province after he was caught with drugs and fake Canadian identification, according to his parents. During a daylong trial last month, Mr. Solondz pleaded guilty to drug charges and asked to be deported to the United States.

According to his father, Paul Solondz, the Dali police said they discovered 33 pounds of marijuana buried in the courtyard of the house that the younger Mr. Solondz rented, as well as what the prosecutor described as a drug laboratory inside the house.

[jazusamo]

Good news that they got this terrorist, he ran but couldn't hide.

CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT ARSON; ARSON OF A GOVERNMENT BUILDING; ARSON OF PROPERTY USED IN INTERSTATE COMMERCE; USE AND CARRYING OF A DESTRUCTIVE DEVICE DURING AND IN RELATION TO A CRIME OF VIOLENCE; MAKING UNREGISTERED DESTRUCTIVE DEVICES

JUSTIN FRANCHI SOLONDZ

Photograph taken in 2002	Photograph taken in 1999	Photograph taken in 1998 or 1999

Aliases:

Justin Solondz, "Conner"

DESCRIPTION

Date of Birth Used:	October 3, 1979	Hair:	Brown
Place of Birth:	New Jersey	Eyes:	Hazel
Height:	5'9" to 5'11"	Sex:	Male
Weight:	150 pounds	Race:	White
NCIC:	W960311040	Nationality:	American
Occupation:	Part Time Carpentry Worker
Scars and Marks:	None known
Remarks:	Solondz may be traveling in Canada, Europe or Asia. He may have facial hair.

CAUTION

Justin Franchi Solondz is wanted on multiple charges related to his alleged role in a domestic terrorism cell. On May 21, 2001, the University of Washington, Center for Urban Horticulture, in Seattle, Washington, was destroyed by fire during the early morning hours. At the same time, in Clatskanie, Oregon, several buildings and vehicles were also destroyed by fire. Fire investigators determined that both fires were the result of arson by use of timed improvised incendiary devices. Shortly thereafter, a communication was released stating that both fires were committed by members of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). The combined loss from these two arsons totaled over five million dollars.

On October 15, 2001, an arson and attempted animal release took place at the Litchfield Wild Horse and Burro Corral in Susanville, California. Investigators found multiple improvised incendiary devices at the crime scene. This arson was claimed to have been committed by the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). The damages from this arson were estimated to be eighty five thousand dollars.

On April 6, 2006, and May 17, 2006, federal grand juries in Sacramento, California, and Seattle, Washington (respectively) indicted Solondz on the following domestic terrorism related charges: Conspiracy to Commit Arson; Arson of a Government Building; Arson of Property Used in Interstate Commerce; Use and Carrying of a Destructive Device During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; and Making Unregistered Destructive Devices.

REWARD

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Justin Franchi Solondz.

SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS AND AN ESCAPE RISK

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS PERSON, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FBI OFFICE OR THE NEAREST AMERICAN EMBASSY OR CONSULATE.

ROBERT S. MUELLER, III
DIRECTOR
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535
TELEPHONE: (202) 324-3000 

[TruthHound]

All ELF members should be shot on sight.

[jazusamo]

Thirteen members of The Family previously sentenced.

Stanislas Gregory Meyerhoff - (5-23-07) - 13 years
Kevin Tubbs ----------------- (5-24-07) - 12 years, 7 months
Chelsea Dawn Gerlach ------- (5-25-07) - 9 years
Darren Todd Thurston---------(5-29-07) - 3 years, 1 month
Suzanne Nicole Savoie--------(5-31-07) - 4 years, 3 months
Sarah Kendall Tankersley-----(5-31-07) - 3 years, 10 months
Joyanna Lynn Zacher---------(6-01-07) - 7 years, 8 months
Nathan Fraser Block----------(6-01-07) - 7 years, 8 months
Daniel Gerard McGowan-----(6-04-07) - 7 years
Jonathan Paul--------------------(8-01-07) - 4 years, 3 months
Briana Waters-------------------(6-19-08) - 6 years
Jennifer Kolar-------------------(7-18-08) - 5 years
Lacey Phillabaum--------------(8-19-08) - 3 years

[garyhope]

Let us give thanks on this Thanksgiving weekend for this arrogant little creep’s capture and imprisonment.

[sockmonkey]

After serving a three-year sentence, Mr. Solondz, 30, who is on the F.B.I.’s most wanted list, will be deported to the United States

Yeah, unless he ends up in one of those Bodyworld's Exhibits first.

[org.whodat]

Three years in a Chinese prison, LOL, anyone want to buy any body parts.

[businessprofessor]

He may not survive his 3 year sentence. There is a good reason that he asked to be deported.

I thought that the Chinese executed drug dealers. Perhaps he was only given 3 years because he was wanted here. A before and after photo would be illuminating. He will barely resemble himself after 3 years of hard Chinese labor.

[jazusamo]

Three years in a Chinese prison, LOL, anyone want to buy any body parts.

That was my first thought on reading he had 3 years to serve, it's a real possibility. He should have thought of that before going to China. :)

[Ukiapah Heep]

They can keep him.

[VaRepublican]

Wow! what a colossal waste of ones life, however I bet he thinks he has done all the right things.

[Oldexpat]

Not so fast. He is a candidate for a Prof Chair at a US university. He has all the qualifications. Fugitive from justice, left wing radical...try to kill people. Great resume.

[Niuhuru]

These idiots don’t think. They are so filled with self righteous emotion, he thinks he is some hero. He probably thought that he would enlighten the Chinese.

As for executing for having drugs, I believe that is Singapore.

[jazusamo]

The ironic thing with this Family group is they were mostly well educated and from well to do families, Jonathan Paul is a millionaire. Several were attending Evergreen College in Olympia, WA, an uber liberal activist school.

[org.whodat]

Actually I was watching a special on China some time last year, on discovery, it showed a women Chinese police commander looking for dug smuggles, she caught a couple they tried them and she took them out back and shot them in the head. About a half days work!! The guy is in deep doo doo, singing working in the coal mine, singing working in the coal mine. LOL

[mazda77]

When exiting the plane on a business trip to Taiwan, right before exiting the jetway, a large sign was impossible to miss. It read something to the effect of;

The possession or importation of drugs is illegal in the Republic of China and is punishable by death.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Being that this was China, who knows if the pot rap was on the up and up, but they did glom on to this fellow and promised to send him back to the USA on the extradition warrant.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Taiwan calls itself the Republic of China (it is the remnant of the Chinese regime that existed prior to the Communist takeover). I could well believe Taiwan is that strict.

[frithguild]

Looks like old Justin got the most severe penalty - I would measure time in Chinese prison in dog years.

[mazda77]

and China is PRC (Peoples Republic of China) Taiwan most often is followed by ROC. As strict as Taiwan is, can you even imagine PRC? This guy must have really been digging low to stay off the radar. Strange how hot he must have been with Interpol to try and hide out in a place that was almost certain death if he got caught, especially with drugs. Narccisim is a funny thing when reality hits.

[12Gauge687]

Most Asian countries treat westerners pretty lightly in comparison to their own citizens or the nationals of other Asian nations. The young American who was caned (15 strokes I think) in Singapore for vandalizing cars got off too lightly according to most Asians.

While Chinese are almost always met with summary execution for drug crimes, usually occurring on the same day as the sentence, westerners usually end up with long terms in prison. Not that that is much relief; Asian prisons are terrible places.

One of my relatives was a poltical prisoner near Nanjing during the Cultural Revolution - no heat, contaminated water and about 1,000 calories worth of food per day. His crime? He was an old (age 68) math professor who didn’t see much value in Mao’s Little Red Book. In 12 years of imprisonment, he went from a “strapping” 130 pounds to 85 pounds.