| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2010 6:35 am |
ADVERTISEMENT |
|||||||||
 |
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
Local News 
|
||||||||||||
Militia hangout at Monroe gun range? MONROE -- A Monroe man's federal prosecution on weapons charges has focused attention on a private gun range that has begun hosting marksmanship events.The shooting range, located on farmland along Ben Howard Road outside Monroe, is described in court papers as being called the "Militia Training Center" and frequented by members of anti- government groups. That simply isn't true, said owner Jim Faire, a lifelong Snohomish County resident. The private shooting range has existed for years, and people started calling it "Militia Training Center" as an inside joke, he said. While the range has begun hosting firearms-training events, Faire said the focus is teaching marksmanship, not insurrection. "It's not a conspiracy," he said. The shooting range is mentioned in court papers filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle as part of the federal government's case against Andrew Steven Gray, 32, of Monroe. Gray, a felon, is charged with three federal weapons violations, including possession of a machine gun and an unregistered silencer. He's also charged with growing marijuana in his home. Over the years, Gray has filed dozens of documents with the county auditor and elsewhere insisting that he is free of government regulation because of how he interprets his citizenship. He's used certified mail to send similar documents to top IRS officials and the former U.S. Attorney General, records show. Gray no longer embraces those "sovereign citizen" beliefs, his attorney, Jessica Riley of Seattle, said in court documents. "The defense acknowledges that the current allegations against Mr. Gray are serious and warrant the court's concern," she wrote. "However, Mr. Gray is not the crazy, politically charged renegade that the government makes him out to be in the complaint." Among the materials submitted in support of allowing Gray to remain free while awaiting trial was an "actual and constructive notice of good character" submitted by a leader of the Freedom County secessionist group that in the 1990s claimed to have formed a break-away government here. Gray's case was investigated by an FBI agent assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, documents show. In court papers, the agent describes himself as a former Navy SEAL and diplomatic security expert who now focuses primarily on investigating "potential domestic terrorism, including right-wing extremists and anti-government groups." Gray's 2004 felony conviction in a drug case makes him ineligible to possess firearms. When federal agents on May 5 searched a storage unit he allegedly rented, they recovered four silencers, bulletproof vests, 9,000 rounds of ammunition and 21 firearms, including a Bushmaster XM-15-E2s, an assault-style rifle capable of fully automatic fire, court papers said. The FBI agent who arrested Gray wrote that a paid informant has described watching the man use firearms at Faire's shooting range, a place the agent wrote is "known as the Militia Training Center." The agent also described watching Gray visit the shooting range to practice with firearms. The range's owner "routinely holds training for individuals involved in the militia movement," the FBI agent wrote. Militias are armed groups sometimes formed by people who argue force may legitimately be used to challenge government authority. Faire said the training he's organized at his shooting range are Appleseed Project events, sponsored by the Revolutionary War Veterans Association. That group is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization based in Morehead, Ky., that describes its purpose as promoting marksmanship and education about the Revolutionary War, tax records show. "We have no affiliation with, nor do we promote or encourage, any subversive or quasi-subversive entities or acts against the United States of America or against the American People, inside or outside U.S. borders," the group says on its Web site. The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office is aware of the gun range and the gatherings there, spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said. "There is nothing criminal attached to it as far as we are concerned," she said. "We are working with other county officials to see if there are any other violations, namely code or land use." There have been complaints, said Christopher Schwarzen, a spokesman for the county executive's office. Planning department officials are taking steps to ensure the property complies with county codes, he said. Scott North: 425-339-3431, north@heraldnet.com. |
- Sorry, Hawkeye; M*A*S*H gets bowled over
- Former Whidbey student shot
- County archive software paid for but waiting for set-up
- Ruling expected on Sultan beating statement
- ‘Roadkill’ caucus seeks a voice for centrist Democrats
- Police seek witnesses in two accidents
- PAWS calls out for critter care-givers
- Boeing has a busy test schedule
- Ex-Boeing engineer jailed for espionage
- Morning mystery: What happened to House Bill 3181?
- Lynnwood sets height limit on grass: 8 inches
(10) - State Senate votes to toss I-960's tax-raising hurdle (9)
- School levies in Snohomish County all passing, Marysville bond failing (7)
- Schools do well in levy elections (7)
- A tidy lawn could be law in Lynnwood (4)
- County archive software paid for but waiting for set-up (3)
- Lynnwood makes law against too tall lawns (3)
- Two suspects sought in Everett shooting that injured two (3)
- Vote on school levies by Tuesday (3)
- Sorry, Hawkeye; M*A*S*H gets bowled over (2)
- Jackson girls outlast Meadowdale owdale
- OBT raises barre in children’s program
- Junior firefighters
- School levies passing
- Mavericks topple Wolfpack
- Get a second look at Second City Feb. 13
- Sports Briefs
- Warriors advance 11 to regional meet
- Arlington's Cascade Valley Hospital celebrates expansion, national award and 100 years of service
- Business Licences Feb. 2010
- Technology tips for launching your own business
- Business Events Feb. 2010
- Tech Talk: No excuse today for going without a Web site
- State already raising fees and rates that restrict business growth
- Some legislators again targeting people’s initiative petition rights
|
 
|
|
|
|
| TODAY'S TOP JOBS |
| View All Top Jobs |
| Top Cars |
|
| Top Homes |
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
|
|Contact Us
|Advertiser Services
|Home Delivery
|Newsstand Locations
|Classifieds
|Feedback
|About the Company
|Work@the Herald
|Site Map |
|
COMMENTS | Be the first to comment
Log in or register to post a new comment.
To read other terms and conditions, click here