SEATTLE — A Maltby man accused of plotting to blow up government buildings was released from federal custody Friday after a judge sentenced him to five years probation.
Paul Revak, 20, pleaded guilty in September to a lesser charge of trying to obtain explosives, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Revak, who was arrested June 9, remained behind bars until Friday’s sentencing.
"I’m really sorry about this. I never really wanted to hurt anybody," Revak said. "I had a lot of political ideas that I believed in, and that got the best of me."
But U.S. District Court Judge Robert Lasnik said Revak’s plans to bomb the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Bellingham and other targets in a revolt against the government were more than exaggerated threats by a young college student.
"This plot to kill and injure people originated by Mr. Revak, and he took concrete steps" to get C-4, an explosive used to make bombs, along with hand grenades and a gun, Lasnik said. "People who think this is an immature act are missing the boat."
Revak’s psychological profile indicates he may have mental health problems, Lasnik said, and he ordered Revak to obtain treatment as one of the conditions of his probation.
The judge called Revak, a Monroe High School honor student and former Boy Scout, "a young man of promise and potential," but said he had difficulty squaring that with the man heard on undercover federal tapes trying to get weapons.
"I think he’s a man who’s at a crossroads, and he may not be able to control what happens next," Lasnik said.
He also noted that Revak was frequently hazed by high school classmates and had reportedly threatened to kill a cheerleader, according to his psychological profile.
"The profile is of someone more likely to end up as a Columbine shooter than a merit scholar," Lasnik said.
But in the end, Lasnik said he was convinced that probation, not a lengthy prison sentence, was the best fit for Revak.
His parents, Matthew and Norma Revak, his sister and a family friend let out a quiet cry of relief when they heard the judge’s decision. Norma Revak leaned forward and softly whispered, "Thank you," and wiped away tears.
Lasnik also ordered Revak to come back to court twice a year to review his progress, and ordered monitoring of all Revak’s computer use.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Hamilton had requested that Revak be kept in prison for nine to 10 more months, but said he was satisfied with the decision.
"He perfectly articulated the concerns we had, and Mr. Revak has gotten a clear message," Hamilton said. "It’s our hope he’ll go through the mental health counseling ordered by the court, and whatever caused him to act in the way he did will be dealt with."
Federal public defender Tom Hillier said Revak "understands at this juncture he was headed in the wrong direction and wants to go back to school and get a job."
Revak, formerly a student at Western Washington University, was arrested after he allegedly tried to enlist the help of another student to bomb the U.S. Coast Guard, court documents say.
He originally was charged with threats to use a weapon of mass destruction and solicitation to commit a crime of violence, which both carry maximum sentences of life in prison.
Revak described himself as an anarchist and presented the student with a "manifesto" in which he declared war against the U.S. government. Revak also allegedly discussed bombing Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Oak Harbor and the Washington Air National Guard and the Army National Guard stations near Bellingham International Airport.
Federal agents searched his dorm room and found camouflage hats, face paint, black gloves, a ski mask, a walkie-talkie and bolt cutters. No explosives were found.
Reporter Katherine Schiffner: 425-339-3436 or schiffner@heraldnet.com.
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