Feds charge 3 men accused of prepping for martial law

[ProGeek]

Rule #1 guys is keep it legal and don't break any weapons laws. #2 Don't go around shooting off your mouth or you will scare the sheep.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONSPIRACY_ARRESTS

[tlwagg]

That link took me to a map.

[ProGeek]

Really?  I just clicked on it and got the below article.

Feds charge 3 men accused of prepping for martial law

By JOHN MORITZ
Associated Press

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Three North Carolina men fearing a government takeover and martial law stockpiled weapons, ammunition and tactical gear while attempting to rig home-made explosives, according to charges announced by the Justice Department on Monday.

The men from Gaston County, near Charlotte, were arrested by federal authorities on Saturday after more than a month's investigation.

Walter Eugene Litteral, 50, Christopher James Barker, 41, and Christopher Todd Campbell, 30, are accused of stockpiling guns and ammunition, as well as attempting to manufacture pipe bombs and live grenades from military surplus "dummy" grenades, according unsealed criminal complaints released Monday.

The close to 60 pages of information compiled by federal authorities since July include allegations Litteral planned to makes explosives out of tennis balls covered in nails and coffee cans filled with ball bearings.

According to the documents, both Litteral and Campbell spoke openly about their opposition to Jade Helm 15, a series of ongoing special forces training missions in several Southwestern states that has drawn suspicion from residents who fear it is part of a planned military takeover.

In addition to ammunition for a long-range .338 caliber rifle, the authorities said Litteral purchased hand-held radios, Kevlar helmets, body armor and face masks in preparation for an armed resistance to the feared military occupation.

Litteral was also planning to purchase an assault rifle along with ammunition for Barker, whose past convictions for possession of stolen goods and cocaine barred him from possessing a gun, according to the documents.

The FBI began its investigation in mid-June after receiving a tip about Litteral and Barker attempting to make homemade explosives, and later began investigating Campbell based on similar information that he was attempting to reconstruct grenades.

Litteral was quoted in the documents calling his planned homemade explosives "game changers," and authorities allege he planned to test the devices with Barker in Shelby, North Carolina.

The federal conspiracy charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, Campbell has been charged with a separate firearms charge punishable by 10 years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.

In addition to the FBI, agencies assisting in the investigation include the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Air Marshal Service as well as local police in Charlotte, Belmont, Mount Holly and Gastonia.

The men will remain in federal custody pending the outcome of detention hearings scheduled for Thursday. It was not immediately clear if they had attorneys.

© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

[Lilburner]

I got a map, too - looks like a portal for AP affiliates?

The story is printed in its entirety above, but if anyone wants an official AP shareable link, http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONSPIRACY_ARRESTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-08-03-16-34-13 seems to work.

Yep - can't break the law and just brag about it.

There was a big stink about a year or so ago about a Florida prepper arrested and then you read the story and he was doing straw purchases and booby-trapping with explosives and publishing all of that. They didn't really have any choice but to bust him.

I can't speak for everyone, but I just don't break the law in the first place - no more than speeding or whatnot. Fortunately, living in GA makes it pretty easy. Can't imagine trying to live in a DC or NJ or CA. I think the decision would be to just not live there.

I honestly don't know all the homemade explosives or booby-trapping law but just because I don't need to.

[Gunner]

OPSEC...OPSEC...OPSEC.... and lets not try to make any bombs......    Even in the prepper community there are those who go to far... what can we say...we try not to be the bad guys, then someone breaks the law, and they say that all preppers are wack-jobs.  Its tough, but as long as we do the right things, we are going to be okay.

[Nemo]

Careful there, when you talk about us (me) whack jobs you need to get it right.  Most of us are very sensitive to the proper terminology.  We are not wack jobs.

Even though everyone here may qualify.  Just ask the govt if you have more than 4 days stuff at home.  They always say 3 days so more than 4 makes you one of me.

Nemo 

[Gunner]

I have nothing in the house....why would I.... the Government is there to help us.... 

I wasn't saying that we ARE wack-jobs....I WAS saying that there are a lot of people out there that would like to use a few bad eggs to call  ALL preppers that.  There is a difference in what was said, and, what was heard...I'm sorry about that.

[Nemo]

Rule # 3 or # 4, don't be a loudmouth idiot. 

That is probably the one most related to those guys.

Nemo