It may have been a long time coming, but good things are often worth the wait. The now-unsealed indictment against Ammon Bundy, Cliven Bundy, Ryan Bundy, Ryan Payne and Pete Santilli is one of those good things, and it appears this indictment concerns the 2014 standoff in Nevada. We have yet to see the full set of charges relating to the Malheur Reserve.
Although all but Cliven Bundy were initially charged with one felony when they were arrested, the indictment lays out many more charges against them -- 16 in all for each of them.
It begins by describing the conspiracy as a "massive armed assault against federal enforcement officers that occurred in and around Bunkerville, Nevada, on April 12, 2014."
"The defendants planned, organized and led the assault in order to extort officers in to abandoning approximately 400 head of cattle that were in their lawful care and custody," the indictment alleges. "In addition to conspiring among themselves to plan and execute these crimes, the defendants recruited, organized and led hundreds of others in using armed force against law enforcement officers to achieve their criminal objectives."
And that's just the beginning. The language of the indictment is damning, through and through. They're shown as the liars and thugs they are. It's also a description of a harrowing encounter with lawless thugs and thieves.
"The 200 Followers in the wash included a significant number brandishing or raising their assault rifles in front of the officers. Some of these gunmen took tactically superior positions on high ground, while others moved in and out of the crowd, masking their movements behind other unarmed Followers. The most immediate threat to the officers came from the bridges where gunmen took sniper positions behind concrete barriers, their assault rifles aimed directly at the officers below."
Like this:
The entire group is charged with the following:
- 1 count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States
- 1 count of conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer
- 4 counts of using and carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence
- 2 counts of assault on a federal officer
- 2 counts of threatening a federal law enforcement officer
- 3 counts of obstruction of the due administration of justice
- 2 counts of interference with interstate commerce by extortion
- 1 count of interstate travel in aid of extortion
According to OPB, these guys can expect to spend the rest of their lives in prison if convicted.
The maximum penalties for each of the charges against the men range from five to 20 years in prison. Each charge carries a maximum fine of $250,000.
Read the full indictment below.
