Mail Tribune
EUGENE — Greensprings resident Jonathan Paul pleaded guilty Thursday to arson and conspiracy to commit arson in a 1997 firebombing of a horse slaughterhouse in Redmond.
Paul, 40, also repudiated violence as a way to protect the environment or animals during a plea hearing with three other defendants in the new U.S. District Court here. All four had been arrested in the federal government's "Operation Backfire" investigation of Animal Liberation Front and Earth Liberation Front activities beginning in fall 1996 and continuing through fall 2001.
A five-year sentence has been recommended for Paul, whom prosecutors say was a member of the ALF at the time the slaughterhouse was destroyed by fire on July 21, 1997. The plant, which suffered more than $1 million in damage, was not rebuilt.
The arson charge carries a potential maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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"When Mr. Paul saw the flames engulf the Cavel West slaughterhouse in Redmond, he realized that fire was an unacceptable means to an end, no matter how compelling," she said. "He immediately abandoned arson as a valid way of making the mistreatment of animals unprofitable."
She also noted that her brother, a volunteer firefighter, had a legacy of personal responsibility that included working to stop cruelty to animals as well as taking action to protect the environment. She would not take questions.
During a break in the hearing, Jonathan Paul declined to talk to the Mail Tribune. "Talk to my lawyer," he said.
Attorney Marc Blackman of Portland was equally closemouthed after the hearing. "I have no idea how it will turn out," he said of Paul's sentencing, which is expected in the spring.
In addition to Paul, the other three defendants in court Thursday included Daniel McGowan, 32, of New York City, and Nathan Block, 25, and Joyanna Zarcher, 28, both of Olympia, Wash.
An eight-year sentence has been recommended for McGowan, who was working for a nonprofit law firm helping abused women when he was arrested in New York. He pleaded guilty to serving as a lookout for the 2001 firebombing of the Superior Lumber Co. office in Glendale; conspiracy to commit arson and topple a high-voltage electrical tower in Central Oregon in late 1999; and attempted arson and arson at the Jefferson Poplar Farm in Clatskanie in 2001.
McGowan, who made a statement before Judge Ann Aiken, said he regretted the actions that brought him to court but said he remained committed to protecting the environment.
Block and Zarcher both pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge related to setting fire to SUVs at the Romania Chevrolet Truck Center in Eugene in 2001 and attempted arson and arson at the tree farm that year. Like McGowan, they are facing the recommended sentence of eight years.
"The pleas of these individuals today, together with (earlier guilty pleas) have effectively dismantled the Northwest cells of the organizations operating loosely under the mantles of ALF and ELF," declared U.S. Attorney Karin Immergut during a press conference in Portland, according to The Associated Press.
"Today we can declare victory in that fight," said Robert Jordan, FBI special agent in charge for Oregon.
With Thursday's hearing, a dozen alleged ALF or ELF defendants have now pleaded guilty to conspiracy and arson charges in the investigation, which involved cases in Oregon, Washington, California, Wyoming and Colorado.
In Eugene, the small courtroom was packed with supporters of the four defendants.
"We're here to show moral support for Jonathan," said one, who would not give his name. "He did the wrong thing but his heart is in the right place."
Before the plea bargain agreement was announced this week, all four defendants had been scheduled for trials on charges that could have carried life sentences. Two months ago, their defense attorneys had asked the federal government whether warrantless wiretaps by the National Security Agency had been used against the defendants.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Engdall denied the NSA surveillance was a factor in the investigation or the plea agreement, according to the AP. However, Amanda Lee, an attorney representing McGowan, said Thursday she believed it was a factor, given the timing of the plea agreements. She noted the four defendants did not testify against each other as part of the plea.
