FBI informant in Hutaree case was arrested for firing gun during argument
A key confidential informant in the FBI’s case against the Hutaree militia whom federal prosecutors intend to call as a witness at trial, was arrested while the investigation was ongoing for firing a gun near his wife during an argument, AnnArbor.com has found.
The informant pleaded no contest to discharging a firearm in a building and is serving three years of probation.
The Hutaree patch
He is expected to take the stand next month as seven Hutaree members go on trial in federal court in Detroit on charges including seditious conspiracy and attempting to use weapons of mass destruction.
Prosecutors allege the group - which sometimes trained in Washtenaw County, where a few members live - discussed killing a law enforcement officer and attacking the funeral procession motorcade with homemade bombs.
Defense attorneys have said it's simply a case of hateful speech. Nine of the group's members were arrested in March 2010 as the FBI conducted raids in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.
Records show the informant initially faced additional charges of felonious assault and possessing a firearm during the commission of a crime after being arrested Feb. 26, 2010 at his private home. In a written statement to police, he admitted to firing the gun near his wife.
“I pointed the 9 mm weapon 8’ to her right and shot…” the police report says. “In no way did I intend to harm or shoot her - I just wanted the argument to end.”
Using numerous sources, AnnArbor.com was able to identify the informant and filed a Freedom of Information Act request last month to obtain the police report on his arrest. However, AnnArbor.com is not revealing his identity, age or hometown because he is a confidential informant. He could not be reached for comment.
The FBI relied on the informant when agents asked in September 2008 to open a formal investigation into Hutaree. Defense attorneys have said in court filings that the informant made audio and video recordings of several Hutaree trainings over a 19-month period, and his work ended around February 2010.
He was arrested roughly a month before the FBI raids on Hutaree. Many Hutaree members were arrested March 27 at an Ann Arbor warehouse, where an undercover FBI agent held a phony memorial service for the informant after telling people he died.
The police report doesn't mention that the informant was doing work for the FBI or had any involvement with Hutaree or the militia movement.
Officers responded to the informant’s home at 12:30 a.m. Feb. 26, 2010, after his wife called 911, telling dispatchers she was having a dispute with her husband and he "just shot a gun at me."
Investigators met with her near the home and she said her husband was still inside. When the informant walked out the front door, officers ordered him to the ground and took him into custody. His wife told police that they had been arguing for two hours because he wanted to quit his job and she was opposed to it.
The argument escalated, the report says, when he began throwing some of her belongings around. She started throwing some of his belongings around, including in a second-floor bedroom. Shortly after she left the bedroom, he fired the shot.
“As she walked out of the room and into the hallway she heard one gun shot and looked up and saw (the informant) standing in the hallway to her right…with a gun in his hand.” He was seven feet away, the report says.
She grabbed a phone and ran out of the house. She didn’t see him fire the gun, but heard the bullet strike an object close to her. Investigators found a bullet hole in a closet door in the hallway.
She told police that he didn’t threaten or physically assault her during the argument and they never had a similar incident before.
At the police station, the informant initially declined to make a statement. When he was being booked, he “excitedly uttered, ‘I only shot one round.” He later agreed to be interviewed, providing the written statement.
Officers searched his house and found a pile of camoflauge clothes lying at the bottom of the stairs that appear to have been removed from a closet. Investigators seized seven handguns, three rifles, three shotguns, some boxes of ammunition and a concealed weapons permit.
On Wednesday, in advance of the Hutaree trial, prospective jurors began filling out questionnaires. Opening statements are scheduled to begin in mid-February.
Michael Meeks of Bridgewater Township is among the defendants in the case.
Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 and email at leehiggins@annarbor.com.
Comments
Eric K
Mon, Mar 5, 2012 : 6:45 p.m.
Nowhere in the police report when he stabbed himself did it say that he tried to commit suicide, in fact the 911 call he made was that his Wife stabbed him. Unfortunately he had no idea where she was at the time, so she had several witnesses to where she was. Seriously it sounds more like they were trying to salvage and make any charges stick if they could, while they could.
Joe_Citizen
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 2:59 p.m.
Now if this is the "KEY" witness, they should just call a mistrial right now and not waist our tax dollars on a case who depends on this guy. The defense will tear him up in court so bad, that he may have more charges after wards. I couldn't see this case winning in the first place, and now it's a tragedy for the so called "Hutaree" group. I do see a law suit here from the Hutaree people too. I've been amused in a great laugh every time I read more on the case. They have the first amendment, that gives free speech, and until someone actually commits a crime, then it can be labeled "premeditated", but until then they are US citizens and have the right to talk just like everyone else. So, bla bla bla.
Joe_Citizen
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 7:43 p.m.
CAN"T* be labeled
Ethan Koernke
Tue, Jan 24, 2012 : 5:48 a.m.
Remember this is the same group who said "Stone got into an altercation", at Dave Stones house in 2002. Stone then escorted these same individuals "off the property at gunpoint". With this action is there any wonder Stone had to do so? It sounds more and more like it is just a game of "I don't like them" so they fabricated a lie to get them arrested or killed.
Tru2Blu76
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 : 8:32 p.m.
RE: "I pointed the 9 mm weapon 8' to her right and shot…" the police report says. "In no way did I intend to harm or shoot her - I just wanted the argument to end." --- Wouldn't it be grand to see this method implemented in the Endless & Absurd Republican Candidates Debates?? :-) I strongly advocate that each state where primaries are held make a law providing that: Any candidate in a primary who wishes to end a primary campaign debate may fire their sidearm eight feet (2.4384 meters) to the right of any of their opponents to end the debate. I do agree though that "trying this at home" is a really, really bad idea. It would only work if both spouses were candidates in the same party and in political debate at the time of the shooting.
Keith Cameron
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 4:40 p.m.
This case has been trumped up since its inception. What these people are guilty of is being idiots and running their mouths (not illegal that I am aware of), nothing more. Will writing violent fiction soon be prosecuted too? Any decent defense attorney should be able to shred 'witness'.
a2baggagehandler
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 2:30 p.m.
Cue the circus music.
Alan Goldsmith
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 1:22 a.m.
"Using numerous sources, AnnArbor.com was able to identify the informant and filed a Freedom of Information Act request last month to obtain the police report on his arrest. However, AnnArbor.com is not revealing his identity, age or hometown because he is a confidential informant. He could not be reached for comment." So the defense attorney for one or more of the militia 'just folks' handed you the name and their defense plans and you were more than happy to be their PR flack. Wow...investigative reporting...my foot. Maybe if you could break away from your 'reporter' computer terminal, you could pop over to Hudson, Michigan and interview the police officer these wacko cartoon characters were going to assassinate. No, that would be a bit too much like real reporting. For an organization that has done zero real investigative reporting on real and local issues, your 'media blog' loves its militia reporting.
Eric K
Mon, Mar 5, 2012 : 6:55 p.m.
Actually Lenawee2012 they no longer lived there at the time of the raid. In fact they had moved to another rented home over by the Adrian Airport. That trailer home hadn't been lived in for about a year.
Eric K
Mon, Mar 5, 2012 : 6:52 p.m.
Actually it was a "reconnaissance" operation they were planning, not an "assassination". See a reconnaissance mission consists of gathering information, a well planned and carried out recon mission is undetected. An assassination attempt would indicate that there is an intended target to be eliminated. The supposed "police assassination" was an ambiguous, vague generalization with no real target mentioned. I should also point out that during the same conversation about killing a cop, they also talked about getting hookers and were obviously joking (whether you find it funny or not).
lenawee2012
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 4:18 p.m.
Hey Alan, "pop over" to Sword Hwy to see where these "cartoon characters" lived. The looney FBI confidential informant said the Hutaree members were going to assasinate Hudson Police Chief Weir and got it on tape when they were all trash talking about it. What did the FBI have on their CI for him to show the Hutaree how to make bombs? Can you say entramptment? Now that you have returned from Sword Hwy, tell me how these "cartoon characters" are going to take over the Government when they can't even take care of their homes. Napalitano and Holder will do anything to prove there are white male Christian terrorists among us! Can you say Political Prisoners?
snapshot
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 12:19 a.m.
The defense attorney should be able to tear him apart and show this whole case is due to the inflated and exaggerated information provided by an unstable "mis-informant". His poor judgement and perceptive abilities are in serious question.
RJA
Thu, Jan 19, 2012 : 11:23 p.m.
A total of 13 guns seized from one home. And his intentions were? Just saying...
Keith Cameron
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 4:42 p.m.
I know lots of people who own more than 13 guns, that does not mean they have any nefarious intent. I'd be more concerned with people who want to restrict the clearly enumerated rights recognized (note, not 'granted) in the US Constitution.
G. Orwell
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 1:58 p.m.
"A total of 13 guns seized from one home. And his intentions were? Just saying..." Self defense. Some people buy many pairs of shoes, these people buy guns. Something wrong with that? Peoples' lives have been ruined because of this frivalus and contrived arrest.
G. Orwell
Thu, Jan 19, 2012 : 9:14 p.m.
"weapons of mass destruction." Not this again. This has got to be a joke. Did the FBI find a nuclear bomb in their gun cabinet? It must have come from Iraq. It should be obvious by now that this is a clear case of entrapment and the FBI has no case.
Eric K
Mon, Mar 5, 2012 : 6:59 p.m.
Not only did they make the claim "WMD", but the supposed "WMD" consists of "pipe bombs" which were never found. Their idea of a pipe bomb apparently is 3, 20 foot pipes that they found on Dave Stone's Father's property, some fuses, and black powder/gun powder they found at their rented home. By the way these guys fired a lot of rounds, so it is cost effective to have re-loading equipment. Seriously it looks more like they were trying to salvage anything they could from a failed 2 year investigation.
jns131
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 12:10 a.m.
Again I say, the Mayan calendar must be right.
Lolly
Thu, Jan 19, 2012 : 9:07 p.m.
AnnArbor.com doesn't want to name the man because he is a confidential informant, but there are certainly a lot of clues in the article. Anyone who is part of the case would be able to figure out his identity.
Eric K
Mon, Mar 5, 2012 : 7:02 p.m.
What would it matter anyway? The man already took the stand, everyone who was involved in the case already know who and what he looks like. The guy was already pointed out by several bloggers, you tubers, etc. Anyone who knows the Stones or Hutaree already know who he is.
djacks24
Thu, Jan 19, 2012 : 9:48 p.m.
I think its pretty much a give away. Hmmmm, lets see, article in A2.com, so and so just got arrested and it all matches up. Thinking.................................. Naaaaaaw, can't be the same guy!
Jake C
Thu, Jan 19, 2012 : 8:43 p.m.
"I pointed the 9 mm weapon 8' to her right and shot…" the police report says. "In no way did I intend to harm or shoot her - I just wanted the argument to end." When [the suspect] was being booked, he "excitedly uttered, 'I only shot one round." When normal people want an argument to end, they just walk out the front door and go somewhere else to cool down. This guy fires a bullet through a wall, and thinks that will somehow "end the argument". A wonderful product of a gun-culture, right there.
jns131
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 12:09 a.m.
Actually the gun made the bullet do it. How else would it get fired?
djacks24
Thu, Jan 19, 2012 : 9:46 p.m.
Yep, blame the gun as usual. Because if not for the gun he would have never thought about hitting her (with or without an object) or throwing something at her. The gun made him do it.
bbb
Thu, Jan 19, 2012 : 8:43 p.m.
He said that he fired the gun because he "wanted the argument to end". However, his wife had left the room and was walking away from him with her back turned. It sounds like the wife was pretty much ending the argument like an adult, when he decided he was ready to take it to the next level.
djm12652
Thu, Jan 19, 2012 : 8:12 p.m.
I must say that for all their "political" posturing....I am pleased to see there are those out there that still appreciate the music of CCR...
nowayjose
Thu, Jan 19, 2012 : 9:53 p.m.
Google them, ccr is a band
Jake C
Thu, Jan 19, 2012 : 8:41 p.m.
Huh?