Last September, Justin Samuel was arrested by Belgium authorities and extradited to the United States where he faced charges of releasing mink and other animals from fur farms (see ALF Updates). At the end of August Samuel plead guilty to two misdemeanor offense related to releasing animals from four Wisconsin farms in 1997. He faces a maximum of two years in jail as well as restitution to the mink farmers who claimed losses of around $200,000. Samuel’s sentencing hearing is November 3.
Samuel admitted to authorities that he and Peter D. Young, who remains a fugitive, were responsible for the mink releases in Wisconsin. The two were implicated when police stopped their car in October 1997 after a mink release and found ski masks, a bolt cutter and a list of mink ranches in the area. FBI tests demonstrated that the bolt cutter from the car was the same one used to break into several of the mink farms.
Samuel reached a plea agreement whereby authorities dropped the felony charges against him and instead charged him with conspiracy to disrupt an animal enterprise and traveling in interstate commerce to disrupt an animal enterprise. In exchange, Samuel is to provide testimony to a grand jury about his activities.
Typically animal rights activists have responded very negatively toward ALF members who turn state’s evidence, and it will be interesting to see how they react to Samuel’s cooperation with authorities.
Source:
Washington state man admits releasing hundreds of mink by cutting fences. Kevin Murphy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, August 30, 2000.