in Brecksville formerly lived in Avon Lake, and accrued a criminal history while he was here.
Joshua S. Stafford, 23, is one of five men charged May 1 by the FBI. Stafford, along with Douglas L. Wright, 26, Brandon L. Baxter, 20, Anthony Hayne, 35 and Connor C. Stevens, 20 were each charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of attempted use of an explosive, said Mike Tobin, public affairs specialist for the U.S. Department of Justice, Northern District of Ohio.
In 2008, Stafford was charged by the on four separate occasions:
- In May 2008 Stafford, then a resident of Burton Street, was charged with criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor. He pleaded no contest was found guilty and fined. He was listed as indigent at the time.
- In June of 2008 he was charged with misdemeanor theft and receiving stolen property, pleaded guilty and was issued probation.
- The following month he was charged with misdemeanor criminal damaging and attempted breaking and entering. Both of those arrests were answered in one court complaint. He was found guilty and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 150 of those days suspended on each, to run concurrently. All charges were answered to in in
Stafford's current address is not known.
The men had been monitored by local law enforcement before the arrests. A criminal complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court in Cleveland this morning. Charges against Wright, Baxter and Hayne were made Monday. Charges weren’t made against Stevens and Stafford until Tuesday.
None entered pleas this afternoon.
The defendants considered a variety of plots in the Cleveland area before settling on the state Route 82 bridge from Brecksville to Sagamore Hills in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the release said. The three who are charged with conspiracy are self-proclaimed anarchists.
The FBI said in a press release the public was not in danger, and an undercover FBI employee had controlled the explosive devices. In addition, the explosives were inoperable.
Other coverage on Patch:
Occupy member Peter Schanz said we want people to know that there is a movement, and that it is OK to fight back.......... Brandon Baxter of Lakewood said he had no regrets for making sure people heard the message mike these were pulled right off the left leaning cleveland.com
So, they didn't care who would get killed. Why would you step up and defend them? Do you think its okay if no one is hurt, but a stupid, politcal point is made?
Also yes i feel that if no one is hurt, make any political point you want, but do i really have to explain that destruction of a infrastructure ≠ political statement?
They were looking at the Detroit-Superior Bridge, and utilizing the subway system underneath the roadway to plant explosives.
You're just looking for a reason to bash the group in general, regardless of any facts or rationale that is presented. I don't consider them "after the fact" statements. To me, the Occupy movement & the Tea Party are in the same category -- the fringe of their respective parties with plenty of "kook" in them & are not taken seriously (OWS even less). It's not uncommon for someone to "associate" or "align" themselves with a group, while masking their true intent/plans. My decision about this group has been out for a long time (as w/the Teabaggers), and what these nutjobs were planning to do doesn't change that because I view THESE LOONS -- not the group.