BREAKING: Here’s the fed prosecutors’ status report on remaining 7 #oregonstandoff defendants

Federal prosecutors Monday said they will prosecute the remaining seven Oregon standoff defendants on the same federal conspiracy charge that the occupation leaders were acquitted of at trial this fall.

In a joint status report, the prosecutors also said they’ll ask for the scheduled Feb. 14 trial to be delayed two months, and add additional misdemeanor charges as well against the defendants.

The report was filed by the deadline set last month by U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown for the government to inform the court how it intended to proceed with the remaining defendants. A status conference in the case is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

Six men and one woman were scheduled to go to trial on Feb. 14 in the  case stemming from the 41-day occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge over government control of public land.

Defense lawyers, including Oregon’s federal public defender, and some of the defendants themselves have urged the government to drop all charges in the wake of the across-the-board acquittals on Oct. 27 of occupation leaders Ammon Bundy, brother Ryan Bundy, Shawna Cox and four others on conspiracy, weapons and other charges.

Those scheduled for trial on Feb. 14 are: Jason Patrick of Bonaire, Georgia; Duane Leo Ehmer of Irrigon; Dylan Anderson of Provo, Utah; Sean Anderson and his wife, Sandra Lynn Anderson, of Riggins, Idaho; Darryl W. Thorn of Marysville, Washington; and Jake Ryan of Plains, Montana.

Prosecutors also plan to continue to prosecute six of the seven on the charge of possession of a firearm in a federal facility.

A charge of depredation of government property will remain against Ryan, but be dismissed against Sean Anderson, the report said. The government also seeks a grand jury indictment on the government property depredation charge against Ehmer, Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Gabriel wrote in the report.

Ryan and Ehmer are accused of digging a trench on the refuge property.

Further, prosecutors plan to bring additional misdemeanor charges against the seven defendants, alleging trespass, tampering with vehicles and equipment, and destruction of property.

The seven were among 26 people indicted on a conspiracy charge. Eleven others pleaded guilty to the charge, though three of those defendants have asked to withdraw their pleas. The government dropped charges against another, Pete Santilli.

— Maxine Bernstein

[email protected]
503-221-8212
@maxoregonian