By Margot Sanger-Katz
Monitor staff
Ed and Elaine Brown, the Plainfield couple who held off federal officials for nearly nine months with guns, bombs and threats, have been indicted on a series of conspiracy, weapons and obstruction of justice charges. The indictments, which were issued by a grand jury last month but made public today, charge Elaine Brown, 68, with six felonies and Ed Brown, 66, with seven. Among the charges is one for possession of destructive devices that carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 30 years.
The Browns were scheduled for arraignment at 1:30 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Concord.
The couple fled their Concord tax evasion trial in January 2007 and took up in their well-fortified home, warning federal agents that they would kill any officer who tried to arrest them. After months of threats, media appearances and parties on their property, they were arrested by a team of undercover marshals in October 2007.
After their arrest, their home was found stuffed with guns and homemade explosive devices, including stacks of pipe bombs in the couple’s bedroom closet, boxes of booby trap guns in the garage, exploding rifle targets nailed to trees around the house and cans of gunpowder, some with nails and screws taped to their edges, placed around the house. Agents also found more than 20 guns.
Four supporters of the couple who brought them provisions, helped them communicate and provided them with weapons and bomb-making supplies, were found guilty of similar federal charges last year. Daniel Riley, the only one of the men found guilty of handling explosive devices, was sentenced to 36 years in prison.
The charges are conspiracy to prevent officers of the United States from discharging their duties; conspiracy to commit offense against the United States; carrying and possessing a firearm in connection with a crime of violence, felon in possession of a firearm, obstruction of justice, and failure to appear for sentencing. Ed Brown is also charged with failure to appear for trial.
The Browns were convicted of several tax-related crimes after they refused to pay federal income taxes for nearly a decade, arguing there was no law requiring them to pay. They are serving 63-month prison sentences for those crimes.
Browns not recognizing new charges
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CONCORD – Convicted tax evaders Ed and Elaine Brown say the federal government has no right to bring 11 new charges against them, including gun violations and obstruction of justice.
Officials entered not guilty pleas on their behalf at a hearing Thursday in U.S. District Court in Concord. Their trial is scheduled for April 13.
Elaine Brown said in court she would not attend the trial, while her husband said the couple lived under a different form of law. Both say they will represent themselves.
They were convicted in January 2007 for failing to pay taxes on $1.9 million of income. They fled to their Plainfield home before the trial ended, where Ed Brown threatened to kill any officers attempting to arrest them. U.S. Marshals apprehended them in October of that year. The new charges stem from that incident.
The New Hampshire Underground and FreeNH are covering Ed and Elaine Brown’s new federal charges.
[Main Thread for Ed and Elaine Brown against the evil IRS
http://nhunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=3868.8295:2tx14mmt
http://www.showedthelaw.com:2tx14mmt
kept the public informed about Ed and Elaine Brown defending their property and persons almost 2 years ago, when they first were found guilty of tax evasion by a NH Kangaroo court
and still has video and intel up on the site.
Why the FED’s brought new charges against the Browns in NH at this time seems rather untimely and foolish considering
the state of New Hampshire and other states are debating whether to secede all together from the federal government.
