Forwarded from Paula Demers, Rdy4Battle@AOL.com ======================================================================= I received this fax from the Militia of Montana today----- It was sent to them from: United States Attorney, Western District of Washington, 800 Fifth Ave, Suite 2600, Seattle, Washington 98104-3189 fax 206-553-0862 July 29, 1996 Contact: Kate Pflaumer, United States Attorney, Seattle, Washingtion 206-553-1291 Kate Greenquist, Law Enforcement Coordinator, Seattle, Washington 206-553-5103 ARRESTS IN EXPLOSIVES CASE Burdena G. Pasenelli, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Seattle Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Chief Donald G. Pierce, Bellingham Police Department, and Kate Pflaumer, United States Attorney, Western District of Washington, announce the filing of complaint charging eight individuals in Bellingham, Washington, area with offenses which include the manufacture and possession of explosive devices, Title 26 USC, Section 5861 (d); conspiracy, Title 18 USC, Section 371; and transfer and possession of a machine gun, Title 18 USC, Section 9222 (o). The arrests were the result of a joint investigation by the FBI and Bellingham Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms provided technical support and assistance for the investigation. Assistance was also provided by the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office, King County Police Department, and Fort Lewis Army Explosives Ordnance Disposal Unit. A number of individuals were arrested on Saturday in an office in Bellingham, where they were attending a class on methods of bomb construction. Those charged are: 1. William Smith, approximately 60 years of age, of Seattle; 2. John Irvin Pitner, 45 years of age, of Deming; 3. Judy Carol Kirk, 54 years of age, of Seattle; 4. John Lloyd Kirk, 56 years of age, of Seattle; 5. Richard Frank Burton Jr., 38 years of age, of Seattle; 6. Frederick Benjamin Fisher, 61 years of age, of Bellingham; 7. Gary Marvin Kuehnoel, 48 years of age, of Bellingham; 8. Marlin Lane Mack, 24 years of age, of Bellingham. All individuals are charged with conspiracy to violate Title 26, USC, Section 586 (d) by making and possessing explosives devices. Additionally, the Kirks, Burton, Kuehnoel, and Mack are charged with violation of Title 26 USC, Section 5861 (d), and Kuehnoel is also charged with violation of Title 18 USC, Section 922 (o). All those arrested will appear before a magistrate judge later today in U.S. District Court in Seattle. It should be noted that a Complaint is a means by which a person is charged with an offense. A person is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until his or her guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt. [end] After I received the the fax I called M.O.M. and had a conversation with Randy Trochman that went something like this: Paula: Do you know these guys? Randy: We know John Pitner (#2), Fred Fisher (#6) and Marlin Mack (#8) Paula: In your opinion, are they guilty of this? Randy: We have had speaking engagements there, and been to gun shows with them. Whenever anyone mentioned anything like that they told them to stop ... or they would walk away. John is mostly involved in politics. They would not have been involved in something like that... We have known them for a while. Paula: Just like if someone told you I was arrested for doing that? Randy: (laugh) Exactly. I am putting together more information, it probably won't be ready before tomorrow and I will fax it to you. Tell anyone if they have questions to feel free to call us. (Their number is 406-847-2735) Randy also made another comment before we hung up about the Atlanta bombing. He told me, "FBI agent Buck Revell was on the news and said that the militia did not do the bombing... The militia draws its support from the public and would not do anything to turn the public against them." Paula Demers