FMF DOC
06-12-2008, 05:42
06/12/2008
PITTSBURGH - An alleged officer for a militia claiming 200 members once talked about shooting Pennsylvania's governor and how a Hillary Clinton presidency could spark a revolution, an FBI agent testified Wednesday.
Perry Landis, 61, of Clearfield County, was one of five people arrested in a sweep by a terrorism task force over the weekend that turned up weapons, ammunition and several homemade bombs.
Details of Landis' group emerged Wednesday in a federal detention hearing in which Landis was held until he could stand trial on weapons charges. Marvin E. Hall, 49, of Rimersburg, Clarion County, was also ordered jailed after a similar hearing earlier Wednesday.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Kelly argued at Landis' hearing that recordings and testimony established that Landis had the means to fashion a "suicide bomb" belt out of pill bottles, BBs, black powder and carbon dioxide canisters.
In September, Landis talked about shooting Gov. Ed Rendell because he was upset about a state plan to put toll booths on Interstate 80.
"He talks the talk and he walks the walk and he's deeply involved in the militia movement here in western Pennsylvania," Kelly said.
Landis is accused of giving an undercover agent blasting caps twice in the last year.
Landis told an undercover officer last fall that if Clinton won the election, "that would be a good thing, that would be the best thing," FBI Agent Daniel Yocco testified.
Landis wanted Clinton elected because he believes she'd try to disarm gun owners and that "would start the revolution and we would all come out of the woodwork," Yocco said.
Yocco testified the Pittsburgh Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes state police, federal agents and others, began investigating militia activity in western Pennsylvania in 2005. The investigation targeted two groups with a "propensity for violence", the 91st Warrior Militia and the Brookville Tiger Militia, which is allegedly headquartered in a cabin on Landis' property.
Landis' attorney, William Schmalzried, noted his client's criminal record consists of a citation for driving without an inspection sticker and a dog law violation. He argued the recorded threats were bragging.
"We don't even have an attempt at anything," Schmalzried said, "except talking foolishly, and stupidly, I might add. No harm can be attributed to Mr. Landis in his life."
The terrorism task force investigation resulted in five people being charged and their property raided and weapons seized.
Authorities took 25 guns from Landis' property, including several Chinese assault rifles, some Romanian weapons and a .44 Magnum. Schmalzried said all the weapons were legal. They also seized bomb-making materials.
TESTIMONY AT HALL HEARING
Meanwhile, Yocca testified at Marvin Hall's hearing before U.S. Magistrate Amy Reynolds Hay that Hall had been the subject of an undercover investigation targeting militias. Yocca said the probe focused on suspected militia members with a "propensity for violence", and the agent also testified about recordings in which the defendants also discussed "flame-thrower parties" and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
Asked by Hall's defense attorney whether Hall belonged to a militia, Yocca said: "(Hall) said he is not one but is associated with them."
Hall faces weapons charges after a raid on his home Sunday. Authorities contend Hall illegally transferred two explosive golf balls to an unidentified person in January, and he is also accused of illegally possessing a 12-gauge shotgun and an SKS assault rifle.
It is illegal for Hall to have guns because of a 1999 conviction on federal weapons charges for possessing a grenade launcher he made. Agents also said they found grenade launcher components during Sunday's raid.
At Hall's hearing, Yocca played a recording made by an undercover agent in which Hall refers to a grenade launcher as "the ultimate weapon." Yocca testified about other audio recordings in which the undercover officer spoke with Hall about weapons and militia matters.
In one recording, Hall described "annual flame-thrower parties" on the 46-acre property of another defendant, Morgan Jones, 64, of Lucinda, Clarion County. At the parties, Hall, Jones and others fired a flame-thrower 30 or 40 feet and fired explosive rounds into tires filled with fuel, causing the tires to explode, according to the testimony.
In one conversation, Hall discussed the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, explaining how he would have built the bomb used by Timothy McVeigh.
Hall noted that the bomb was made with ammonium nitrate, which was difficult to purchase, but that he knew of a "secret" source of the chemical - cold packs used by athletes. He said he had "cases and cases and cases" of the cold packs and could use them to build a bomb. Hall added that he had other explosive materials stashed "all over the county."
Yocca also testified that Hall was a "self-proclaimed survivalist" who would be able to live off the land and access weapons "through contacts with militias, underground tunnels and mines."
Yocca said at Hall's hearing he believed the Brookville Tigers militia group had as many as 200 members.
Clarion Borough police investigator William Peck IV also testified at Hall's hearing. Margaret Philbin, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan's office, said Peck provided information regarding an October 1994 incident at a house in Clarion where Hall lived at the time.
STATUS OF OTHER DEFENDANTS
Hall's live-in girlfriend, Melissa Huet, 34, is accused of helping Hall illegally possess the weapons. She remains free until her next court appearance before a federal magistrate on June 26,
Another defendant, Bradley T. Kahle, 60, of Troutville, was released after a detention hearing Wednesday in Johnstown. Kahle is confined to home detention and prohibited from obtaining a passport.
According to an affidavit, Kahle told undercover agents he hoped Clinton or Sen. Barack Obama would be killed if they were elected, and that he would shoot judicial and law enforcement officials if he became terminally ill.
Morgan Jones faces a detention hearing today.
Authorities haven't said if they believe Jones and Kahle are militia members.
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PITTSBURGH - An alleged officer for a militia claiming 200 members once talked about shooting Pennsylvania's governor and how a Hillary Clinton presidency could spark a revolution, an FBI agent testified Wednesday.
Perry Landis, 61, of Clearfield County, was one of five people arrested in a sweep by a terrorism task force over the weekend that turned up weapons, ammunition and several homemade bombs.
Details of Landis' group emerged Wednesday in a federal detention hearing in which Landis was held until he could stand trial on weapons charges. Marvin E. Hall, 49, of Rimersburg, Clarion County, was also ordered jailed after a similar hearing earlier Wednesday.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Kelly argued at Landis' hearing that recordings and testimony established that Landis had the means to fashion a "suicide bomb" belt out of pill bottles, BBs, black powder and carbon dioxide canisters.
In September, Landis talked about shooting Gov. Ed Rendell because he was upset about a state plan to put toll booths on Interstate 80.
"He talks the talk and he walks the walk and he's deeply involved in the militia movement here in western Pennsylvania," Kelly said.
Landis is accused of giving an undercover agent blasting caps twice in the last year.
Landis told an undercover officer last fall that if Clinton won the election, "that would be a good thing, that would be the best thing," FBI Agent Daniel Yocco testified.
Landis wanted Clinton elected because he believes she'd try to disarm gun owners and that "would start the revolution and we would all come out of the woodwork," Yocco said.
Yocco testified the Pittsburgh Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes state police, federal agents and others, began investigating militia activity in western Pennsylvania in 2005. The investigation targeted two groups with a "propensity for violence", the 91st Warrior Militia and the Brookville Tiger Militia, which is allegedly headquartered in a cabin on Landis' property.
Landis' attorney, William Schmalzried, noted his client's criminal record consists of a citation for driving without an inspection sticker and a dog law violation. He argued the recorded threats were bragging.
"We don't even have an attempt at anything," Schmalzried said, "except talking foolishly, and stupidly, I might add. No harm can be attributed to Mr. Landis in his life."
The terrorism task force investigation resulted in five people being charged and their property raided and weapons seized.
Authorities took 25 guns from Landis' property, including several Chinese assault rifles, some Romanian weapons and a .44 Magnum. Schmalzried said all the weapons were legal. They also seized bomb-making materials.
TESTIMONY AT HALL HEARING
Meanwhile, Yocca testified at Marvin Hall's hearing before U.S. Magistrate Amy Reynolds Hay that Hall had been the subject of an undercover investigation targeting militias. Yocca said the probe focused on suspected militia members with a "propensity for violence", and the agent also testified about recordings in which the defendants also discussed "flame-thrower parties" and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
Asked by Hall's defense attorney whether Hall belonged to a militia, Yocca said: "(Hall) said he is not one but is associated with them."
Hall faces weapons charges after a raid on his home Sunday. Authorities contend Hall illegally transferred two explosive golf balls to an unidentified person in January, and he is also accused of illegally possessing a 12-gauge shotgun and an SKS assault rifle.
It is illegal for Hall to have guns because of a 1999 conviction on federal weapons charges for possessing a grenade launcher he made. Agents also said they found grenade launcher components during Sunday's raid.
At Hall's hearing, Yocca played a recording made by an undercover agent in which Hall refers to a grenade launcher as "the ultimate weapon." Yocca testified about other audio recordings in which the undercover officer spoke with Hall about weapons and militia matters.
In one recording, Hall described "annual flame-thrower parties" on the 46-acre property of another defendant, Morgan Jones, 64, of Lucinda, Clarion County. At the parties, Hall, Jones and others fired a flame-thrower 30 or 40 feet and fired explosive rounds into tires filled with fuel, causing the tires to explode, according to the testimony.
In one conversation, Hall discussed the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, explaining how he would have built the bomb used by Timothy McVeigh.
Hall noted that the bomb was made with ammonium nitrate, which was difficult to purchase, but that he knew of a "secret" source of the chemical - cold packs used by athletes. He said he had "cases and cases and cases" of the cold packs and could use them to build a bomb. Hall added that he had other explosive materials stashed "all over the county."
Yocca also testified that Hall was a "self-proclaimed survivalist" who would be able to live off the land and access weapons "through contacts with militias, underground tunnels and mines."
Yocca said at Hall's hearing he believed the Brookville Tigers militia group had as many as 200 members.
Clarion Borough police investigator William Peck IV also testified at Hall's hearing. Margaret Philbin, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan's office, said Peck provided information regarding an October 1994 incident at a house in Clarion where Hall lived at the time.
STATUS OF OTHER DEFENDANTS
Hall's live-in girlfriend, Melissa Huet, 34, is accused of helping Hall illegally possess the weapons. She remains free until her next court appearance before a federal magistrate on June 26,
Another defendant, Bradley T. Kahle, 60, of Troutville, was released after a detention hearing Wednesday in Johnstown. Kahle is confined to home detention and prohibited from obtaining a passport.
According to an affidavit, Kahle told undercover agents he hoped Clinton or Sen. Barack Obama would be killed if they were elected, and that he would shoot judicial and law enforcement officials if he became terminally ill.
Morgan Jones faces a detention hearing today.
Authorities haven't said if they believe Jones and Kahle are militia members.
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Contact
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Letters to the Editor
Letters may be sent via email to newsroom@usachoice.net. They should include the writers name and address as well as a daytime telephone number where the letter can be confirmed. Word limit is 350.