Animal Liberation Press Office

press@animalliberationpressoffice.org

Informers, Infiltrators, Snitches and Agents

"For the sake of clarity, let us be uncomfortably honest: to snitch is to take a life. By words and by weapons, each day lives are taken in the most egregious of crimes. When this happens in the courtroom, we call it "cooperation". I call it violence, and I call anything done to keep an informant out of the courtroom "self defense". -- Peter Young, animal liberation prisoner

Federal Agents- Southern California (Send us photos of agents in your area, and we'll post them here- Click image for hi-res)

FBI Agent Darrell Foxworth

Frank Ambrose
FBI informant

Ambrose has already plead guilty and agreed to help the government and their investigation of ELF/ALF actions in any way. Court documents reveal that Ambrose was being used by the FBI not only to gather information on ELF/ALF activities but general movement organizing as well. Specifically I-69 organizing and Cincinnati Earth First! organizing.

We have confirmed there is an active Grand Jury out of Grand Rapids, MI. Recently released court documents suggest Ambrose has provided information on "15" other people allegedly involved in ELF/ALF actions.

See www.ecoprisoners.org for more info and PDFs of the complete documents. More information will be added to this page as it becomes available.

The complete plea agreement can be found at www.midwestgreenscare.org . We will continue to release any and all confirmed relevant information as it becomes available.

Better Image? Please email to press@animalliberationpressoffice.org

"Anna"

A "confidential source" (CS) for the FBI, uses other names and thought to be in her early-to-mid 20s, she attended the June 2005 Bio-Democracy protests in Philadelphia, the July 2005 CrimethInc convergence in Indiana, the July/August 2005 Feral Visions gathering in the southern Appalachian mountains of Tennessee. She worked as a field medic at protests. She has worked for the FBI since at least 2004, and has reportedly received $75,000 plus expenses for her efforts. Her testimony represents the primary evidence against Eric McDavid, Zachary Jensen and Lauren Weiner, who were arrested January 13, 2006 in Auburn, California; the three face 20-year prison sentences for conspiracy to damage property by fire.

Click here for the May 2005 Article on "Anna" from Elle magazine.

Ecosaboteurs Turn Snitch in Northwestern US
Jacob Ferguson and Stan Meyerhoff Public defender Craig Weinerman named known heroin and meth addict, Jacob "Sketcher D" Ferguson as one of the government informants who helped the F.B.I. arrest six individuals on charges stemming from Earth and Animal Liberation Front actions that occured between 1998 and 2001. One of the six arrested, Stanislas "Jack" Meyerhoff of Charlottesville, Virginia, has expressed remorse for his crimes and agreed to fully cooperate with investigators.
Jen Kolar Kolar is a woman who has never been charged with any offence in relation to the ongoing investigation against the eleven people accused of illegal activity in the State of Oregon; however, it has been widely believed for a while that Kolar has been cooperating with the police in their investigation. This suspicion was confirmed when the well known Earth First! lawyer, Stu Sugarman, stated in court that Jonathan Paul's arrest was based on the testimony of Jen Kolar. Kolar pleads guilty to 4 counts so far: attempted arson of Ray Gun Club, conspiracy of UW, UW arson, UW 924(c). Cavel West transferred to WA soon, Litchfield not prosecuted. Sentencing recommendation 60-84 months. No attempt at sealing up cooperation agreement which included wearing recording device and future cooperation.
Lacey Phillabaum Phillabaum plead guilty in Tacoma, WA to arson (UW Horticulture), conspiracy and the 924(c) incendiary device charge. Her recommended sentence is 3-5 years. Justin Solandz' name was mentioned several times during the factual statement of the plea, and the extent of her cooperation was very expansive, including wearing wires and continuing to cooperate with the feds post-incarceration. The transcript will be ordered and disseminated as soon as possible. Sentencing is set for 1/5/07 at this time but may be postponed.
Suzanne Savoie Chelsea Gerlach, Suzanne Savoie and Darren Thurston, along with Kevin Tubbs, Stan Meyerhoff and Jacob Ferguson (see above) have all been named in court proceedings as cooperating with the authorities, which has included making statements against others. At sentencing, Savoie's defense attorney said she had to reveal other people's roles "of necessity" and that it was "just the nature of the system" although it was hard for her to snitch on other people Both Gerlach and Savoie have made statements against Nathan Block and Joyanna Zacher. (See below)
Kendall Tankersley At her sentencing, aresting officer Decoyer stated that Kendall was terrified about cooperating at first, but after she heard from or read a letter from Foreman (Ferman?) (or once he got involved?), she cooperated fully. For extarordinary cooperation and for being the least involved with the least crimes, she got 46 months in jail plus full restitution and 3 years supervised probation.
Chelsea Gerlach Chelsea Gerlach, Suzanne Savoie and Darren Thurston, along with Kevin Tubbs, Stan Meyerhoff and Jacob Ferguson (see above) have all been named in court proceedings as cooperating with the authorities, which has included making statements against others. Both Gerlach and Savoie have made statements against Nathan Block and Joyanna Zacher. (See below)
Darren Thurston Chelsea Gerlach, Suzanne Savoie and Darren Thurston, along with Kevin Tubbs, Stan Meyerhoff and Jacob Ferguson (see above) have all been named in court proceedings as cooperating with the authorities, which has included making statements against others. Read Darren's plea agreement and more here...
Kevin Tubbs At Tubbs' sentencing, Asst. US Atty. Kirk Engdall said that Tubbs cooperated three weeks after his arrest and that his cooperation was substantial, but that his initial reluctance to cooperate, after he DARED to get legal advice from an attorney first, (only after he learned of 3 snitches against him: Ferguson, Meyerhoff and Kolar-in that order) was considered.

Northern California Activists Turn Snitch
Ryan Lewis In the criminal complaint against Eric McDavid, Zachary Jenson and Lauren Weiner (who are all currently under federal indictment) it states: "On August 31,2005 FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) Agents interviewed Lewis, who indentified McDavid in a digital photo recovered from the hard drive of Lewis's computer. Lewis further advised that McDavid was a friend and had intentions to travel by hitchiking to protest destinations across the country, including the presidental inauguration in Washington DC." No more is known at this time about the nature of Lewis's cooperation with the government. All that is known is that he indentified and discussed someone else with the FBI and that person was later arrested. Ryan Lewis was sentenced to 6 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of attempted arson and one count of arson. After completing his sentence he will have a three year term of supervised release and be ordered to pay $243,000 restitution.
Lauren Weiner Lauren Weiner, Zachary Jenson, and Eric McDavid were arrested in Auburn, CA on Jan 13, 2006 as part of the government's Green Scare campaign. They were charged with conspiracy to destroy property by means of fire or explosives, facing up to 20 years in federal prison for a crime that was never committed. Zachary felt that he could no longer cope with waiting for trial at Sacramento County Jail and has decided to take the same plea agreement that Lauren Weiner took in May, which requires him to “cooperate fully with the government, and any other federal, state, or local law enforcement agency, as the government directs.” His new charges will hold a maximum 5 year sentence, but Zachary will have to live with himself for the rest of his life knowing he abandoned and informed on a friend. The full text of his plea agreement can be found here.
Zachary Jenson Lauren Weiner, Zachary Jenson, and Eric McDavid were arrested in Auburn, CA on Jan 13, 2006 as part of the government's Green Scare campaign. They were charged with conspiracy to destroy property by means of fire or explosives, facing up to 20 years in federal prison for a crime that was never committed. Zachary felt that he could no longer cope with waiting for trial at Sacramento County Jail and has decided to take the same plea agreement that Lauren Weiner took in May, which requires him to “cooperate fully with the government, and any other federal, state, or local law enforcement agency, as the government directs.” His new charges will hold a maximum 5 year sentence, but Zachary will have to live with himself for the rest of his life knowing he abandoned and informed on a friend. The full text of his plea agreement can be found here.