ГУЛаг Палестины

prison after pleading guilty to failing to file a federal income tax return. McLamb had ties to the Montana Freemen; he is also

charged in a federal indictment of various crimes committed in connection with James Vincent Wells and Montana Freeman

Russell Landers. McLamb and Wells belonged to an extremist group innocuously called 'The Civil Rights Task Force."

March 25, Kansas: Two Kansas residents are convicted in Tulsa for passing Montana Freemen checks. Bill and Karen

Hanzlicek were found guilty of conspiracy, bank fraud, mail fraud and passing a counterfeit check.

March 26, Florida: In Stuart, Florida, John Foster, is charged with obtaining $662,000 in bogus checks from the Montana

Freemen and using them to pay off the IRS and his mortgage company.

March 26, Ohio: In Columbus, Ohio, common law court activist Larry Russell is found guilty of escape and sentenced to 1 S

years in prison. He fled Ohio following a failed attempt to arrest him for driving without a license, after which he was charged

with assaulting a police officer and escape, but was arrested at the Alaska border and extradited.

March 27, Nevada: Nevada militia man Harry Tootle is convicted on charges of drawing a gun on a security guard, then

resisting arrest.

March 27, Arkansas, Missouri: Arkansas citizen Robert Joos is convicted of resisting arrest and carrying a concealed

weapon during a confrontation with Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers in 1994. The troopers were attempting to arrest

him near his church commune (the "Sacerdotal Order of the David Company") in connection with a 1987 misdemeanor

conviction involving a false court summons served to a trooper. Law enforcement authorities are still searching for Timothy

Thomas Coombs, wanted for shooting and seriously wounding a state trooper in retaliation for Joos' arrest.

March 29, South Carolina, Oregon: In Anderson, SC, Embassy of Heaven member Frank Lewis stages a seven day hunger

strike when arrested for driving without a license and operating an uninsured vehicle. This is one of many hunger strikes

staged by members of the group, which preaches against all forms of government interference. The Embassy of Heaven

issues fake drivers licenses, plates, and registrations for its members; these are purchased by people all over the country. In

late winter, Embassy of Heaven members are evicted from their "church" in Sublimity, Oregon, for nonpayment of county

taxes.

March 30, Michigan: Kalamazoo, Michigan, militia member Brendon Blasz is arrested and indicted on suspicion of making

pipe bombs and other illegal explosives. Blasz and his "small militia band" planned to bomb the federal building in Battle

Creek, an IRS building, a television station and federal armies, according to an affidavit by an informant. The Michigan

Militia claims to have expelled them in 1995.

APRIL

April 2, Washington, Idaho: The jury hearing Spokane bank bandits case convicts the three defendants on illegal weapons

charges and stolen vehicle charges, but deadlocks on the more serious bank robbery and bombing charges when a sole

jury member, sympathetic to the right-wing extremists, refuses to convict.

April 3, California: A Berkeley, California, woman, Mary Margaret Lund, is convicted of using bogus checks to purchase a

motorhome in January 1996. She passed more than $223,000 worth of bad checks.

April 5, Montana: Fourteen of the infamous "Montana Freemen" are hit with a 40-count indictment that will take the place of

earlier indictments against them. Charges include multiple counts of conspiracy bank fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, false

claims, threats to public officials and weapons charges. A second indictment charges eight people with helping fugitives

escape arrest.

April 7, Washington: Gary Kuehnol, one of the seven Washington militia/freemen charged with conspiracy (see above),

pleads guilty to a charge of transferring a machine gun to a federal informer. He will not face new conspiracy charges as a

result of the agreement. Another participant, Caitlin Hansen, earlier pled guilty to obstruction of justice and was sentenced to

three years of probation. Six still await a new trial.

April 8, Montana: Pre-trial hearings begin for the Montana Freemen.

April 8, Washington: A Clark County, Washington, motorist is arrested with 2 loaded handguns, a bogus license plate, and a

concealed weapons "permit" issued by the "State Militia." Jed Carson was cited on suspicion of operating a vehicle with

illegal plates, carrying loaded weapons in a vehicle, driving without a license and failure to provide proof of insurance. The

plate read "SOV, 064-MNE, States of America united, America the Republic." His "sales contract" for his vehicle was from

the "British West Indies," a non-existent country.

April 11, New York: A jury convicts New York city police officer Jose Lugo on tax charges related to nonpayment of taxes on

$163,000 of income. Ten other police officers have been convicted on similar charges; four more are facing prosecution.

The officers apparently got the idea from Indiana militia leader Joe Holland and other tax protest leaders.

April 19, Idaho: New militia group forms in Idaho County, Idaho, called the "Idaho Mountain Boys." Its leader warns that if the

county enforces building codes, the militia will be ready to intervene.

April 20, Texas: Republic of Texas leader Richard McLaren vows war if authorities try to arrest him. "Once they make the

move," he says, 'we'll have millions of Americans on our side including every militia in the country. We're talking war

here."