PIML 96050102 / Forwarded to Patriot Information List: Date: Tue, 30 Apr 96 14:20 EST From: lindat@iquest.net (Linda Thompson) Subject: Georgia "Probable Cause" Affidavit United States District Court Middle District of Georgia In the Matter of the Search of APPLICATION AND AFFIDAVIT Property of ROBERT STARR located in FOR SEARCH WARRANT Crawford County, Georgia and being more particularly described on Attachment "A" I Brad Donnelly being duly sworn depose and say: I am a(n) Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms and have reason to believe that on the property or premises known as Property of ROBERT STARR located in Crawford County, Georgia and being more particularly described on Attachment "A" in the Middle District of Georgia there is now concealed a certain person or property, namely items relating to explosives, pipe bombs and firearms, and records relating to the purchase, sale or possession of items relating to explosives, pipe bombs and firearms which is tangible evidence of violations of criminal law concerning a violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section(s) 371 i/c/w 26 U.S.C. Section 5861(d). The facts to support a finding of Probable Cause are as follows: See Affidavit attached hereto. ATTACHMENT "A" (Describes location of property) AFFIDAVIT I, Brad Donnelly, do hereby depose and state the following: I am a Special Agent with the U.S. Treasury Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, and I have been employed in that position for the past six and one half years. Prior to my employment with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, I was employed as a Special Agent with the United States Secret Service for six and one half years, and as a police officer in Alabama for eight and one half years. I am authorized by law to investigate violations of various federal laws relating to explosives, pipe bombs and firearms. This affidavit is in support of an application for a search warrant for violations of Title 18, United States Code, SS371 in connection with Title 26, United States Code, SS5861(d), conspiracy to possess firearms (destructive devices) not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. This affidavit is based upon information which I received on April 25, 1996 from Special Agent Steve Gillis with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms in Atlanta, Georgia. Agent Gillis related that he had talked to a confidential informant (C-1), who stated to him that on April 5, 1996, he had attended a meeting along with WILLIAM JAMES MCCRANIE, JR,. ROBERT STARR, and others. During the meeting MCCRANIE talked about blowing up a bomb on his property. Further, MCCRANIE stated that he had enough chemicals to make forty (40) bombs. Also, MCCRANIE said that nails make great shrapnel. Agent Gillis related that he had talked to CI-1, who stated to him that on April 18, 1996, a meeting was conducted in the parking lot of 2495 Pio Nono Avenue, Macon, Georgia, and was attended by MCCRANIE, STARR and others. During the meeting, STARR stated that they need to start making the pipe bombs this Saturday, April 20, 1996, while on MCCRANIE's property. STARR said that he wants as many pipe bombs prepared as allowed by the quantity of chemicals they currently have on hand and distribute them among the members. STARR suggested that they go ahead and pack the pipe bombs with explosives and wrap them with nails for fragmentation. MCCRANIE is a plumber by trade, has access to pipe and the equipment needed to thread and cut pipe. MCCRANIE stated that he already has completed pipe bombs stored on his property. CI-1 related that on April 20, 1996, he attended a meeting on MCCRANIE's property where he saw pre-mixed explosives - potassium perchlorate, aluminum powder, fuse, thermite igniters in PVC pipes and end caps. CI-1 related that on April 23, 1996 he, and others, heard STARR say he wanted to fully arm the pipe bombs on Saturday, April 27, 1996. STARR said that whoever wanted one could have it but they were to bury them in their backyards. On other occasions, STARR had said that the pipe bombs would be to defend their rights against the invasion of the government. CI-1 also stated that everyone at the meeting knew that the explosives had been moved to STARR's property in Crawford County to be buried until April 27, 1996. STARR gave instructions that the group would meet in Knoxville, Georgia and then go to his property to finish making the pipe bombs. CI-1 has provided information to law enforcement officers on more than ten (10) occasions. Each time, CI-1's information has been corroborated by public records, privated records, surveillance, other individuals, or other investigative techniques. On each occasion that Ci-1 has observed STARR and MCCRANIE, they have been armed. Further, both have made statements about shooting law enforcement, even if they were serving a search warrant. CI-1 described to Agent Gillis how he travelled to STARR's property for training. Taking those descriptions and a Crawford County map, a Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms located STARR's property. According to the Agent, the property can be located as follows: Beginning at the Peach County/Crawford County line, travel west on GA Hwy. 96 1.7 miles to Cumming Road, turning right, and travel 2.8 miles to Lawson Merritt Road (a dirt road), turn left, at the corner is a blue house, and travel .3 miles to first dirt driveway on the right. The CI-1 stated that the driveway is about one-half mile long and that STARR's property is on either side of the driveway. The property extends at least fifty (50) yards on the left side of the driveway and even further on the right side. At the end of the driveway, a new well has been dug. STARR told CI-1 that he had purchased two (2) 8-acre tracts which were long and narrow. An ATF Agent, after going to the physical location, talked with the former owner of the property. Using the attached map, the former owner described how he had taken the 63.09 acres in Parcel 180 and divided it into eight (8) 8-acre lots. The former owner had divided the property in half between Magnolia Road and Lawson Merritt Road and then divided each one-half into four (4) separate parcels. The description given to the ATF Agent by the former owner coincides with the physical description given by the CI-1. CI-1 further stated that MCCRANIE's property is located several miles from Knoxville, Georgia. To reach this property, begin at the Crawford County Courthouse and GA Hwy. 42 and proceed to the intersection of GA Hwy. 42 and Hortmans Mill Road, turn onto Hortmanns Mill Road, and go to Jackson Road. Then turn left and travel 2.2 miles until you see a silver mailbox with MCCRANIE and 2872 written on it. Across the road from the mailbox is a driveway with a red bar gate. MCCRANIE's property is located inside the gate. A circular driveway leads to a light tan with silver roof doublewide mobile home. Behind the mobile home is an out-building. This property contains approximately ten (10) acres. A search of the records of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record has bene made to determine if ROBERT STARR or WILLIAM JAMES MCCRANIE, JR. had registered any firearm or destructive device. None was found to be registered. Further, Affiant requests that the warrant authorize agents to enter the property either in the day time or night time, that covert entry be authorized, and that notice to the owners be delayed for seven (7) days due to the extreme danger to the confidential informant, the need to identify other co-conspirators, and to protect the safety of the public from individuals who are conspiring to build pipe bombs. BRAD DONNELLY, SPECIAL AGENT US.S TREASURY DEPARTMENT, BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO & FIREARMS Subscribed to and sworn before me this _____ day of April, 1996. ___________________________ WILLIAM L. SLAUGHTER UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE Kind regards, *********************** V ************************* DEATH TO THE NEW WORLD ORDER **************************************************** Linda Thompson American Justice Federation Home of AEN News & news videos, "Waco, the Big Lie," "America Under Siege" 3850 S. Emerson Ave. Indianapolis, IN 46203 Telephone: (317) 780-5200 Fax: (317) 780-5209 Internet: lindat@iquest.net Website: http://aen.aen.org ************************************************** Remember Waco. The Murderers are still free. *************************************************** Freeeeeeeeedom . . . .freeeeeeeedom . . . free-ee-dom, Free-DOM! Free-DOM! Sing it out now! 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