PORTLAND, Ore – Billy J. Williams, United States Attorney for the District of Oregon, announced that nine additional individuals have been charged by federal indictment and seven have been arrested today in relation to the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Burns, Oregon. The defendants, listed below are scheduled to make appearances in federal court, throughout six different states, today and tomorrow. Two of the defendants remain at large. Each defendant is charged in the indictment 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 indictment charges the defendants below:
Blaine Cooper, 36, of Humboldt, Arizona
Wesley Kjar, 32, of Utah
Corey Lequieu, 44, of Fallon, Nevada
Neil Wampler, 68, of Los Osos, California
Jason Charles Blomgren, 41, of Murphy, North Carolina
Darryl William Thorn, 31, of Marysville, Washington
Eric Lee Flores, 22, of Tuallip Washington
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. See the indictment attached.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ethan Knight and Geoffrey Barrow.