A federal grand jury has indicted Aamon Bundy and several other people involved in the anti-government attack at an Oregon wildlife sanctuary, where a handful of holdouts continued to occupy the site overnight Wednesday.
NBC News reports:
Federal prosecutor Geoff Barrow told the AP on Wednesday that the indictment involves the people arrested so far “and others,” perhaps a reference to the four people who have stayed put at the federal refuge — despite Ammon Bundy’s calls for them to leave.
The indictment, which was unsealed Thursday and obtained by NBC News, alleges that the defendants conspired together since last October to prevent refuge employees from doing their work at the wildlife sanctuary “by force, intimidation, and threats.”
The maximum penalty is six years in prison. The Bundy brothers — sons of infamous Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy — remain jailed. The occupiers took over the refuge as part of a larger demand that the federal government turn public lands over to local control
The indictments specifically mentioned “brandishing firearms” as part of the threats. Under 18 U.S. Code section 924, that kicks in mandatory minimum sentences that start at 7 years for handguns, 10 years for rifles and shotguns, 15 years if any were found to have armor-piercing ammo, and even more time if there were silencers, explosives, or illegal weapons present.
While the initial Grand Jury indictment does not state “terrorism” as it should, in no way precludes additional counts or charges, including a number of those arrested who were in possession of guns in violation of prior felony convictions, probation and/or release agreements, destruction and theft of both federal and Oregon power company property (the video cameras) and lots more.
CLICK HERE to read the whole indictment.