Can’t Spell Militia without “MI” (and IN and OH)

Apparently, while I was sleeping, they turned my local sheriff’s department into a staging center for FBI raids against a Christian-focused militia group less then 40 miles away.

The FBI conducted raids Saturday night in Washtenaw County and Lenawee County in an investigation involving members of Hutaree, a Christian-oriented militia group based in Lenawee County, AnnArbor.com has learned.

The nature of those raids has not been made public. FBI Special Agent Jason Pack, who is based in Washington, D.C., said he did not know how many people were taken into custody. Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit, could not be reached for comment today.

“I can confirm that there is ongoing law enforcement activity in the Ann Arbor general area,” Pack said in a written statement. “Since the federal warrants are under court ordered seal, legally we cannot provide further comment at this time.”

Local Michigan militia member Jimmy Schiel said he was told five people were arrested – including one known member of Hutaree. Schiel said the five were reportedly arrested during a raid at a service in the Ann Arbor area for a Hutaree member who died recently.

Apparently, this raid is connected with a raid in Indiana …

Hammond police assisted with an FBI raid Saturday evening in the Indiana city, but federal officials would not release any details.

Hammond officials did not know the circumstances surrounding the raid, which began about 7 p.m. and lasted two hours, said a police dispatcher.

And in Ohio

A battalion of local officers and federal agents flooded the Bayshore Estates neighborhood Saturday afternoon.

A second raid was conducted in Huron. An FBI agent at the scene of the Bayshore Estates raid said a second, related raid was taking place at “another location.” Huron police confirmed late Saturday a raid had taken place in that city, but would say nothing more.

Likewise, FBI agents at the scene and at the Cleveland field office are staying mum on the cause of the commotion.

“We did make some arrests,” said special agent Scott Wilson of the FBI’s Cleveland office.

What was it we’ve been talking about, whether coordinated actions of white Americans could be terrorism or not?

Here’s an update–looks like they were worried about anti-Islamic violence.

Lackomar said he heard from other militia members that the FBI targeted the Hutaree after its members made threats of violence against Islamic organizations.

“Last night and into today the FBI conducted a raid against homes belonging to the Hutaree. They are a religious cult. They are not part of our militia community,” he said.

Lackomar said he was told there were five arrests Saturday and another five early Sunday. The FBI declined to comment.

One of the Hutaree members called a Michigan militia leader for assistance Saturday after federal agents had already began their raid, Lackomar said, but the militia member — who is of Islamic decent and had heard about the threats — declined to offer help. That Michigan militia leader is now working with federal officials to provide information on the Hutaree member for the investigation, Lackomar said Sunday.

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23 replies
      • prostratedragon says:

        Maybe the latter, though I don’t mention it often.

        Hair need a lift? Check out some of the comments to the various news articles, you’ll have extra bounce and body all week.

        • JTMinIA says:

          >> “Maybe the latter, though I don’t mention it often.”

          Given your neighbors, it seems, I can’t blame ya. Reminds me of when, while out on a nice Sunday drive with my family, we wandered into the area just north of I-80 in central PA. Next thing you know, every house has a confederate flag and lots of white sheets with eye-holes are drying on the clotheslines. Yeek.

          • prostratedragon says:

            !;)

            Had a similar experience not too far from AA once upon a time. I think the nice lady with a stroller whom I asked for directions was even more nervous than I was, which really put the lead in my foot when I got back to the highway.

            As to the roll-up, I wonder whether advance work for this event hasn’t officially surfaced now.

            And EW, what’s all this talk I’m hearing about b’days? (Hope it was a happy!)

  1. Petrocelli says:

    If y’all would spend less $$$ on fightin’ and more time fighting on Ice playin’ Hockey ... *g*

    Happy Birthday, Marcy !

  2. PJEvans says:

    militia member — who is of Islamic decent

    ‘Islamic’ isn’t an ethnic group, but somehow I’m not surprised that someone in a Christianist group wouldn’t know that.

    • thatvisionthing says:

      One of the Hutaree members called a Michigan militia leader for assistance Saturday after federal agents had already began their raid, Lackomar said, but the militia member — who is of Islamic decent and had heard about the threats — declined to offer help. That Michigan militia leader is now working with federal officials to provide information on the Hutaree member for the investigation, Lackomar said Sunday.

      FBI: “Let’s you and him fight”

    • bobschacht says:

      militia member — who is of Islamic decent

      ‘Islamic’ isn’t an ethnic group, but somehow I’m not surprised that someone in a Christianist group wouldn’t know that.

      Islamic folks are mostly “decent,” but I think the author meant “descent.”
      Is the typo in the original?

      Made me amused last semester to see students write that the “Hatfields were a decent group.” No editorial comments, please, let’s just stick to the facts, OK? (They meant “descent” group.)

      Bob in AZ

  3. scribe says:

    great description:

    “survivalist group … actively training to be alongside Jesus”

    eesh.

    One of the comments down the line on the AA.Com story indicatesthat the FBI was arresting people who were/had been selling pipe bombs. Take that for what it’s worth, since we’ll find out something tomorrow when they are arraigned in court and some or all of the documents are unsealed.

    I’m waiting to hear Lindsey Graham and Jeff Sessions howl about these white Christianist Jesus-cultists beng read their Miranda rights and getting to appear in court. In public. With lawyers. Probably paid for by the public. Before a real judge.

    Someone ought to be calling their offices to see whether they think these folks should be sent to Gitmo….


    FWIW, I thought it amusing that Talkative Jimmy the Militia Member, interviewed in the one article, mentioned going out to eat fajitas…. Who woulda thought militia-members would like Mexican food?

    • jdmckay0 says:

      great description:

      “survivalist group … actively training to be alongside Jesus”

      reminds of a quote I sometimes use as email sig:

      “If English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it’s
      good enough for us.”

      – Miriam Amanda “Ma” Ferguson (1875-1961),
      Governor of Texas (1925-1927, 1933-1935)

      Kind’a challenges the intellect (not to mention the language) to make sense of notion we are “a nation founded on Christian Principles.”

      Anyway, I’m interested in means by which Feds got onto this. Are they investigating militias, or some patriot give them a heads-up call?

  4. skdadl says:

    Happy Birthday from me too, EW, and thank you for the daily edumacation and the detective work — you are the best Sherlock I know. It’s hard work here, but damn, it’s fun.

  5. JTMinIA says:

    As much as I love that second quote (and think that it accurately portrays a popular attitude in places such as Texas), I must point out that there’s no real evidence that Ma Ferguson ever said it.

  6. PJEvans says:

    Looking at the charges against these guys, I can see why they might have made other militias nervous.
    (They were planning to kill a random LEO, then use some kind of IEDs against the funeral cortege. They’d gotten as far as planning the thing, including plans for making the IEDs.)

  7. Dollared says:

    And in Ohio:

    Police “flooded the Bayshore Estates.” Wow, that’s a pretty drastic anti-terrorism tactic.

    Here in NE WI the police can’t do that without declaring martial law, and they need sustained 30-40 MPH winds off Lake Michigan as well.

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