Tag: Connor Cash

A federal jury last week acquitted Connor Cash, 22, on all charges related to a number of arsons in the Suffolk County area in 2000 that had been tied to animal rights and environmental extremist groups.

Federal prosecutors had charged Cash with being the ring leader of the group behind the arsons, and plea bargained with Matthew Ramelkamp, 19, and Jared McIntyre, 21, in exchange for their testimony against Cash.

But the jury apparently didn’t find either Ramelkamp or McIntyre credible and quickly came back with an acquittal on all charges for Cash.

Sources:

LI man acquitted in environmental terror trial. Associated Press, May 21, 2004.

Acquittal in environmental terrorism case. Robert Kessler, New York Newsday, May 21, 2004.

Earth Liberation Front Connor Cash is currently on trial in New York accused of a number of Earth Liberation Front arsons committed in Suffolk County, New York in 2000. He is also charged in a failed attempt to burn down to steal ducks and burn down a building at a duck farm.

Cash’s alleged co-conspirators, Matthew Ramelkamp, 19, and Jared McIntyre, 21, reached plea agreements with prosecutors and are the government’s chief witnesses against Cash.

This week a female juror was removed from the trial after admitting she had said of some of Cash’s supporters,

. . . they should send these kids who are anti-American across to Iraq to see what’s going on over there. Then they would not be against our government.

The juror was referring to about two dozen supporters who have regularly attended the trial in support of Cash.

Cash, by the way, seems to be adopting the Jeff Luers strategy. Despite the evidence against him — including testimony from two of his co-conspirators — Cash maintains that he is falsely accused and had nothing to do with the various arsons he’s charged with.

One can only hope that Cash’s strategy is as successful for him as it was for Luers.

Source:

Juror dismissed for remarks in activist case. Robert E. Kesller, Newsday, May 13, 2004.