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Crime

Occupy-Affiliated ‘Ringleader’ of Ohio Bridge Bombing Plot Sentenced to Over 11 Years in Prison

Nov. 20, 2012 1:08pm Erica Ritz

Occupy Affiliated Douglas Wright Sentenced in Ohio Bomb Plot

(Photo via ABC News)

(TheBlaze/AP) — Three men were sentenced Tuesday to years in prison after admitting to taking part in an unsuccessful plot to bomb a highway bridge in Ohio with what turned out to be a dud device provided by a government informant.

The father of one of the defendants, 20-year-old Connor Stevens, complained to the judge that his son had been entrapped.

“My son is guilty,” James Stevens said, “and so is the government.”

Prosecutors had described the suspects as self-proclaimed anarchists who acted out of anger against corporate America and the government.

All three defendants – Stevens, 26-year-old Douglas Wright and 20-year-old Brandon Baxter – apologized in court. Their attorneys said the sentences would be appealed.

File photo provided by the FBI shows Douglas Wright

Wright, an Indianapolis man authorities called the ringleader, received the toughest sentence, 11 1/2 years. He apologized to his family and the community, saying he was an addict and needed help for substance abuse, not just prison.

Baxter, of Lakewood in suburban Cleveland, was given nearly 10 years in prison. Connor Stevens, of Berea, the least involved of the trio, was sentenced to more than eight years.

U.S. District Judge David Dowd had ruled last week that the men should be sentenced as terrorists, making them subject to harsher prison terms. After leaving prison, all three will be on supervised release for the rest of their lives.

A fourth defendant is being sentenced Wednesday, and a fifth is undergoing a psychiatric exam.

Stevens’ mother, Gail, broke into tears and stopped reading a prepared statement. She portrayed her son as a gentle soul who shooed flies out of the house instead of killing them.

Brandon Baxter’s father, Andy Baxter, challenged the government’s case and mentioned his own battle with alcohol abuse. He told the judge his son had “a heart of gold, and please make this as light as possible.”

Stevens, Baxter and Wright pleaded guilty to conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction, knowingly attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to damage property with explosives. There was no plea deal that would have reduced their sentences.

Last week, Dowd backed a government request to consider stricter sentences based on a “terrorist enhancement” for the trio. The ruling that the three were trying to intimidate the government expanded possible sentences from five or six years to 15 to 30 years or more.

The men were arrested by the FBI and had targeted a bridge over Cuyahoga Valley National Park between Cleveland and Akron. The FBI has said that the public was never in danger and that the device was a dud provided by an informant.

The defense called the case entrapment, with the informant guiding the way, and said the plot was more an act of vandalism than anti-government terrorism. They asked for sentences in the range of five years.

The government said the plot “was meant to convey a message to the civilian population, the corporate world, the financial system, and all levels of government.”

This post has been updated to reflect new information.

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Comments (18)

Larry E
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 6:39pm
He COULDN’T be associated with the peace loving Occupiers, they’re wonderful! Glorious Leader told us so! These guys have to be Tea Party people!

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dpmo63
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 4:58pm
He sho gotta perty mouth. 11 years of fun await him. Occupy Occupy!!

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jessieH
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 4:16pm
That’s ok, the liberals will make him a professor when he gets out.

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Berfie
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:52pm
Hmmm not an Obama son but perhaps he is Bill Ayers Son and he may be elligible to be on ODummer cabinet

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DadRocked
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:23pm
Afterthought… Doesn’t it seem like that these sentences are rather lenient for the crime?

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- DadRocked
  Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:51pm
  Term of sentence minus Time served minus Good Behavior… They’ll be out in 5 to 6yrs.
  
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- DadRocked
  Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:56pm
  Last note… Beside exceptions of political/personal motives, most judges’ hands are tied.
  Legislator’s make the laws and guidelines.
  
  Report this comment
DadRocked
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:01pm
Cleveland radio station (WTAM-1100am) reports that Wright apologized in court to his family and the community, saying he was an addict and needed help for substance abuse, not just prison

Baxter, Baxter teared up on while speaking to the court, acknowledging if the explosives were real, there could have been many victims. “This would have been a benefit to nobody and only a detriment to society and communities in that area,” he said.

Stevens accepted responsibility for his actions, calling them “a foolish risk to life, an act of blind justice.” Stevens says at the time he was emotionally distraught, drinking excessively and using other drugs.

In addition to the prison time, all three men will undergo substance abuse treatment and face lifetime supervision after being released from prison.

A fourth defendant will be sentenced Wednesday and a fifth is undergoing a psychiatric exam.

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- DadRocked
  Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:08pm
  Neighbors were probably saying, “They seemed like nice young boys.”
  Fun listening to WTAM right now on Mike Trivisano’s show.
  http://www.iheart.com/#/live/1749/?autoplay=true
  
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DadRocked
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 2:53pm
He won’t be heading off to minimum security…
Wait for him to start spewing at maximum at best medium… He’ll be in the infirmary…
They’ll not take kindly to one of these OWS boys that talk it and can’t walk it.
Oh, he’ll be bragging of his attempt then WHACK!

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piper60
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 2:45pm
Terrorists are terrorists. I’ve about had it with the defense pleading that they are addicts. Insanity plea 101. Doesn’t wash.

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Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 1:44pm
Same area that won Ohio for Obama. All these dirty, stinking meth-heads needs to do hard time. I wish prison wasn’t so easy on them. We need a prison system that would make people want to die rather than go to prison.

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AvengerK
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 1:37pm
I wish the Blaze would stop running this picture of MONICNE/ENCINOM andWANGO/PANTSLOADIAN’s family reunion. Enough already.

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- Cavallo
  Posted on November 20, 2012 at 1:51pm
  These are what the new americans look like. These are the Obama children. These are the new countrymen of the United States of Soviet America.
  
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Government_Goodies
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 1:32pm
I’m sure the democrats are very proud of their sons here.

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- Cavallo
  Posted on November 20, 2012 at 1:50pm
  No they are angry. They plotted to blow up State property! How DARE they!!! If they had plotted to blow up someone’s yacht with their family on board, or blow up a private local bank.. then they’d either be lauded as heroes or gotten a slap on the wrist and told not to get caught next time.
  
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progressiveslayer
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 1:27pm
Wright should get a life sentence based on suspicion of being an extra terrestrial,that’s one F ed up looking cat.

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gzorpe
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 1:16pm
IF the plot “was meant to convey a message to the civilian population, the corporate world, the financial system, and all levels of government.”… I SAY THROW AWAY THE KEY AND CONVEY A MESSAGE TO “WOULD-BE” BOMBERS YOU GET LIFE IN PRISON FOR EVEN ATTEMPTING TO BLOW **** UP!!!

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