In January U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty announced the guilty plea of Earth Liberation Front extremists Adam Blackwell, Aaron Linas and John Wade.
The three were students at Douglas S. Freeman High School in Henrico County, Virginia, in 2002 when they decided to being a spree of destruction in the name of the Earth Liberation Front.
Blackwell and Linas used kerosene-soaked wicks to set fire to the fuel tanks of vehicles being used to construct a mall in Henrico. The three also vandalized 25 SUVs at an automobile dealership and targeted several other SUVs parked outside private homes. They also vandalized three fast-food restaurants by etching the glass.
McNuly told the Associated Press, “This behavior is dangerous to human life. It is putting people at risk through destruction of property.”
Under their plea agreement, the most severe sentence the three could receive would be five years in jail. They have also agreed to provide in excess of $200,000 in restitution for the damage they did.
Sentencing in the case is scheduled for April.
Correction: A reader notes that while John Wade plead guilty to a variety of criminal acts and is currently serving 37 months in prison, he in fact was not with Blackwell and Linas on the night they set fire to gasoline tanks as this article originally implied. AnimalRights.Net regrets the error.
Source:
Virginia eco-vandals enter agreements over vandalized SUVs. Associated Press, January 12, 2004.