I asked a man why he was in prison, and he said he had stolen a pair of shoes. I told him if he has stolen the railroads, he would be a US Senator — Mary Mother Jones
What happens when the FBI pays an undercover agent $75,000 to spend two years infiltrating a bunch of young activists by sleeping with one of them and providing them with a fully bugged and videotaped free place to stay, but although she constantly tries to convince them to do something illegal — anything — they won’t go along? Well, if you’re the FBI, you arrest them anyway and accuse them of . . . um . . . talking with your agent.
In a new low for the government campaign against environmental radicals, the FBI arrested Eric McDavid, Zachary Jenson and Lauren Weiner in Auburn, Calif. on January 13 and charged them with “conspiring to damage or destroy by explosive or fire” cell phone towers, power plants and US Forest Service facilities. They are not charged with any actual actions, and in fact, nothing was damaged or destroyed. The alleged conspiracy appears to have been an unsuccessful set-up based on conversations engineered by the FBI’s undercover agent. They have plead not guilty and face 5 to 20 years in prison if convicted. McDavid and Jenson remain in jail and all three need support.
Don’t trust nobody but your dog and your homies — ain’t that the truth sometimes. And that’s exactly how the FBI wants us to feel when we hear about a case like this. The FBI are watching people all the time and they will do anything to get anybody. People talk about security culture a lot, but even if you are really cautious, it might not help if you’re sleeping with an undercover FBI agent who is being paid to entrap you by encouraging you to talk about illegal actions. Being conscious of what you say in person, on the telephone or over email when you’re planning actions is important. What this case reveals is that this applies even if you don’t actually do anything.
The FBI’s criminal complaint is a public document available at portland.indymedia.org, and it shows how the FBI set them up.
In 2004, a person going by the name of “Anna” became a Confidential Source for the FBI. She was paid $ 75,000 for her two years of work and has allegedly been involved in 12 other “anarchist” cases. Since July 2005, “Anna” provided information about the three. Over the summer she infiltrated numerous radical events. She acted as a street medic for the Biotech protest in Philadelphia and at the Feral Visions Gathering in Tennessee. And she assisted at the Crimethink Convergence in Indiana. She even investigated going to Scotland to participate in protests against the G8. She wrote long reports on Indymedia websites describing actions she attended and asking people to send her photographs and other information. Anything sent to her was presumably sent straight to the FBI.
At some point in January, “Anna” and the arrestees traveled to California, where they all allegedly stayed at “Anna’s” cabin outside of Sacramento. This cabin was provided to her by the FBI — everything was being recorded and taped as evidence. The FBI also provided them with a laptop computer. “Anna” also secretly taped her friends & used text messages on her cell phone to communicate with the FBI. The complaint alleges that the arrestees created and signed a book that outlined an arson plan.
This is not an article to scare people; this is just the word on the streets. People met Anna and they trusted her because she was sleeping with one of the men who got arrested. FBI infiltrators are rotten and will do anything for money, even entrap activists by suggesting they plan actions and then gaining their trust by sleeping with them.
Zachary Jenson and Eric McDavid are beautiful souls and still remain in Total Separation at the Sacramento County Main Jail. If you would like to write them letters, or send them books, money or love, please contact sacramentoprisonersupport@riseup.net. Eric McDavid, X-2972521 4W114A or Zachary Jenson X-4198632 7E213A Sacramento County Main Jail 651 “I” Street Sacramento, CA 95814 .