PORTLAND, Ore. – Billy J. Williams, United States Attorney for the District of Oregon, announced that the individuals arrested overnight in the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Burns, Oregon, appeared in court today for an initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman. Each defendant is charged in a criminal complaint with one felony count of conspiracy to impede officers of the United States from discharging their official duties through the use of force, intimidation, or threats. The defendants are Ammon Edward Bundy, 40, of Emmett, Idaho; Ryan C. Bundy, 43, of Bunkerville, Nevada; Brian Cavalier, 44, of Bunkerville, Nevada; Shawna Cox, 59, of Kanab, Utah; Ryan Waylen Payne, 32, of Anaconda, Montana; Joseph Donald O'Shaughnessy, 45, of Cottonwood, Arizona; and Peter Santilli, 50, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Each defendant entered a plea of not guilty to the charge.
Judge Beckerman ordered all seven defendants to remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Friday, January 29th at 1:30 p.m.
An eighth person, Jon Eric Ritzheimer, 32, of Peoria, Arizona, self-surrendered to police on January 26, 2016, and appeared before a magistrate judge today in Phoenix, Arizona to face a felony charge of conspiracy to impede officers of the United States from discharging their official duties through the use of force, intimidation, or threats. His detention hearing is scheduled for February 2, 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The criminal complaint and affidavit is attached below.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ethan Knight and Geoffrey Barrow.
bundy_et_al_redacted_complaint.pdf(2.83 MB)