That incident is separate from the recent occupation of an Oregon Wildlife Refuge that ended earlier this month.
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“The rule of law has been reaffirmed with these charges”, Daniel Bogden, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada said in a prepared statement. Other than Cliven Bundy, all those charged in the Nevada standoff Wednesday also face charges in the OR standoff.
The wheels of justice turn slowly but they finally caught up with Bunkerville rancher Cliven Bundy Wednesday, Feb. 10, when he was arrested by federal officials in Portland, Oregon. Cliven should have stayed in his Nevada ranch and the federal government would have no doubt allowed the geriatric “rebel” to continue to steal land and money from the federal government.
In addition to conspiring among themselves to plan and execute these crimes, the defendants recruited, organized, and led hundreds of other followers in using armed force against law enforcement officers in order to thwart the seizure and removal of Cliven Bundy’s cattle from federal public lands. The federal indictment did not include charges against the elder Bundy in relation to the wildlife refuge occupation.
The charges stem from an armed standoff two years ago on federal land in Nevada over unpaid grazing fees.
Upon learning of the roundup, Bundy said he was “ready to do battle”, with the Bureau of Land Management and that he would “do whatever it takes” to protect his property, according to documents.
Federal authorities said Bundy was the “leader, organizer and chief beneficiary of the conspiracy, and possessed ultimate authority over the conspiratorial operations and received the economic benefits of the extortion”.
The charges carry potential sentences of decades in prison and $3 million in forfeitures. Each charge carries a maximum fine of $250,000.
Ammon Bundy’s lawyer, Mike Arnold, told The Oregonian Wednesday evening he had anticipated the indictments but declined comment on the specific charges, saying he hadn’t yet read them.
“That being said, I have every confidence Mr. Bundy will immediately plead not guilty and will welcome the opportunity to have a jury of his peers decide what really happened”, Grefenson wrote. “We’ve just been waiting for the indictment”.
“It’s important for the public to remember that there is a constitutional presumption of innocence in America”, he said.
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