The Case of Ryan Lewis

How to Support (accused) Earth Liberation Prisoner Ryan Lewis
by sacramento prisoner support Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005 at 2:19 PM

Updates and Information on Ryan Lewis’s Case and How To Support Him. A Federal Grand Jury has been convened to invesitgate the case and area anarchists. ​

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On Tuesday February 8 the FBI arrested Newcastle resident Ryan Daniel Lewis in connection with a recent ELF action. Lewis is being charged with arson and attempted arson of a commercial building.


Since the end of December three ELF actions have occurred in the Sacramento area. Two attempted arsons at developments in Auburn and Lincoln were claimed by an ELF communiqué sent to the Auburn Journal and the Sacramento Bee. A third successful arson at an apartment complex in Sutter Creek was discovered with graffiti that said “WE WILL WIN-ELF”.


Lewis is charged only with the attempted arson in Auburn and the FBI continues to investigate all three incidences. Lewis was arraigned Thursday and appointed a federal public defender. The FBI has yet to reveal what evidence, if any, it has against Lewis. The criminal complaint against him and the search warrant were sealed in US District court in Sacramento.


Lewis’s case is being prosecuted by US Attorney McGregor Scott. Scott, who once commanded an infantry unit on the streets of LA during the 1992 riots, has made a name for himself as District Attorney of Shasta County and a member of the board of directors of the California District Attorneys Association. Scott made news last May when he testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee asking them to expand the scope of 18 U.S.C. Section 43 (covers “animal enterprise terrorism”) to ban the legal activities of groups like Stop Huntington Animal Cruelty.


The FBI investigation into the ELF actions is ongoing. The US Attorney has also convened a grand jury to investigate the recent ELF actions. They have begun visiting area anarchists, suponeaing witnesses, and will hear testimony on February 24th. (Whether or not this is the first day, we are unsure). These procedings are not open to the public.


Lewis is currently being held without bail in the Sacramento County Main Jail. He is reportedly being treated well and is in good spirits. He has a bail hearing on Thursday February 17 at 2pm at the Federal Court House in Sacramento at 501 I Street (on the 8th floor). At this hearing it will be determined whether or not he must remained incarcerated until his trial.


You can support Ryan Lewis by attending this hearing.


In the case that he is not released on bail tomorrow, please send letters of support to:
Lewis, Ryan X-4101338 5E225B
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
USA

If Ryan is to remain in custody, he likes the idea of having books sent to him.

If you are from the Sacramento area and have been visited by the FBI about this, please get in contact. You are not alone and there are resources available to help you and people willing to support you. ALSO! If you are visited by the FBI it is important to not talk to them! Their job is to investigate. They are trying to put you or your friends behind bars. You legally do not have to speak with them or answer their questions. Simply state that you wish to speak with your attorney (even if you don’t have one) or that you will have your attorney contact them. Take down their names and the names of their superiors and any other information you can. For more advice on dealing with the FBI, please read “If an Agent Knocks” which is available online on countless websites, including:
http://www.animalliberationfront.com/ ALFront/ELF/IfanAgentKnocks.pdf

For more information on Grand Jouries, please read the infoshop.org guide to grand jury investigations at: http://www.infoshop.org/breakingglasspress/GrandJuries.PDF

 

I noticed you offer no reason why anyone should support this guy. Hell, you didn't even deny the charges. Do you even know what you're talking about, or are you just lending him your support because you think ecoterrorism is "cool"?

The Earth Liberation Front is a dangerous group of terrorists, and if this guy truly is responsible for these acts of arson then I have no sympathy for him and hope that he's prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

 

I have to agree with Kandahar, ELF are terrorists. These tactics put a negative light on environmentalism and animal rights issues and IMO cause much more damage to such causes than doing nothing.

Successful Arson??

I don't care what the cause, an arsonist is an arsonist. Tactics of non-violent protest do not include destruction of private property.

So RevoMystic, why is it we should support this guy?

 

Kandahar, obviously, as you should know by now, I don't like you. I don't like you at all. I think you are a waste of human flesh. But that's just my opinion of course. You don't need to comment on it either. Just accept it and move on.

I'm not representing this person or ELF as a whole. I'm posting articles up in the Environmental thread of the hipforums as a source of information that won't be provided by the mainstream corporate media. I'm objective, and wish to keep my opinions regarding this topic to myself, only to reveal that I have MIXED feelings on this entire subject. I don't see how you think I'm lending support in any way at all. I think I've done a great job at playing the objective roll. Now go on with your pathetic life as a liberal nobody. And that's what you are Kandahar...a nobody.

Lastly, ecoterrorism is caused by the multinational polluters who's cocks you'd be happy to suck for the right price. I wish you'd go to them instead of posting in here all the time. (before you construe that as me trying to take away your freedom of speech LOLOL--and I know you'd pull that card, you fucking loser, I'm only expressing a desire of mine, nothing more).

 

hey freeinalaska, what do you consider the multinational corporations who are literally destroying our planet? Are THEY not ecological terrorists? Let's keep things in perspective, shall we?

Wake up, you're old enough to know better by now.

 

You say you're objective and have mixed feelings, yet you provide a link to a website to support this alleged terrorist without even DENYING the charges against him. You still didn't answer my question: If you don't even believe he's innocent or haven't studied the case enough to have an opinion, why the hell are you trying to rally support for him?

 

Yes, let's keep things in perspective.

Multinational corporations are in business to make money. Whether or not you think they need to pay more attention to the environment, their goal is not its destruction. That is merely an unfortunate side effect.

The ELF is in business to terrorize RATIONAL people, including acts of arson and perhaps the occasional murder (although they deny the latter). Ironically, these so-called "environmentalists" do even more damage to the environment by burning down buildings and factories.

No corporation tells its consumers "Do what we say or we'll burn down your home and your place of employment." The ELF does. The fact that you have more sympathy for the ELF than you do for average (sane) people shows how irrational you are.

 

ELFs a bunch of freaks. this kid on trail has no justification for taking any action against anyone for anything. everyone knows the environmenst bein destroyed by rich fuckers, and sure soem of them prolly live in sacramento, but this kids a fuckupfool if he dide somethin against the law, especially somethin that can hurt someone, then he;s gotta face up to his actions. some of us try to stay out of jail and have rational projects and goals that help the environment. Elf is just an extreeme parasite of that movement, to useless to do anything useful or creative, so they run around whinning and breaking things. youre the one who needs to grow up.

 

Been out mushing dogs for the week so I was unable to respond so I thank WayfaringStranger and Kandahar for their responses to the above post.

Yes, I am old enough to know eco-terrorism will change nothing and cause harm to the whole environmental cause.

 

So, dismantling logging operation equipment(clear cut) and re-distributing the parts all over the mountain side isn't really destructive, it's re-arrangement, right? I guess that kind of stuff I have no problem with because it's not destroying anything, it's just delaying things (and kind of funny too). But, yeah, burning stuff down, blowing stuff up, causing wonton destruction isn't cool, it's stupid. That shows no greater intillect than the local bully. Environmentalists need to be smarter than their opponent. I do agree that the multinationals are eco-terrorists themselves and yes, they do mow down houses and kick families out. They pollute the air we have to breathe and we have no choice, they destroy forests, they kill the waters, like a gang of thugs. They float above the spectrum of law and government and traipse around the world ever increasing their assets and will destroy whatever it takes to do so. Corporate Terrorism at it's finest.

 

Kandahar, I put my eyes to the floor and shake my head in response to your thoughts. G.W. Bush is killing innocent people in Iraq to enforce what he believes in, but you have a pickle with environmental activists who destroy some SUVs and Townhouses here and there? tsk tsk. a "side effect".... I ... it... you... that statement is void of ethics, it's pasted in lies just like right wing thought... what are you doing on these forums besides being a pest?
Go live in your destructive utopia of ignorant bliss called the USA with the job you never question and leave us the hell alone.

 

Hey RevoMystic thanks for posting this. Whether or not ELF does the right thing at least they are trying and bringing attention to the issues. We can debate whether it is good or bad attention but at least for some instances any attention is good.

 

The case does not look good for Ryan. If you want to support him, he can be reached at
Lewis, Ryan X-4101338 5E225B

Sacramento County Main Jail

651 "I" Street

Sacramento, CA 95814

USA

 

Since no one bothered to answer this, I'll ask it again: Why should we support this alleged terrorist, when you don't even deny the charges against him? Obviously you can't claim moral outrage if you won't even say that he's innocent, so just what is your stake in this?

 

Eco-terrorism is a ridiculous position for an environmentalist to take, it makes them as bad as the corporations. You aren't going to win people to the environmental cause by walking around blowing shit up. That makes people take a negetive view of those labeled "envrionmentalists" and is a detriment to the whole cause. Why would anyone support this?

I have to say, though, we DO have a choice. Corporations are just supplying our demands, we as consumers are at fault. Sure, there is a lot corporations should be doing on their own, but their first priority (as stated by law) is to increase their profits for their shareholders. But if we boycott, or protest their dirty ways, we can make it economical for them to be envrionmentally friendly; either they clean up their act, or they sell fewer of their goods.

Thus, this needs to be a grassroots thing. There's a lot of people recycling out there, but that isn't the biggest issue. The biggest (bigger, at least) is to stop buying products from companies that pollute, clearcut, etc. We need to start demanding that they stop raping our planet.

Corporations aren't wholely evil, but they are money driven (for better or worse). Lets make it so their desire for money paralells and supports the environmental cause.

 

I hope the guy rots in prison.... what hes did isn't any more noble then any pyromaniac.

Corparations aren't causing environmental problems, you are. I am and so is Ryan Lewis.

What we need is rational level headed debate about ecological problems and research into areas where we can do more with less damage to the ecosystem.

Not a fucking arsonist who probably doesn't know shit about ecology.

 

"Corparations aren't causing environmental problems"

They're not? I assure you...they are. Wake up kiddo.

"What we need is rational level headed debate about ecological problems and research into areas where we can do more with less damage to the ecosystem."

LOL, how can you talk about having a rational debate when you say that corporations aren't responsible for any environmental damage?

By the way, I don't support many of the actions the ELF takes. I don't support blowing shit up to make a point. I believe in direct action, but not destruction. I don't believe, however, that these actions constitute "terrorism"...for terrorism involves the torture and/or murder of innocent civilians. These "terrorist" groups haven't even injured anyone (innocent or not). They make a point of blowing up THINGS, not people. I don't agree with it, but they are NOT terrorists in the accurate definition of the word. Learn something kiddies.

Kandahar, you are a waste. Please go away.

 

How the bee can blame the hive is beyond me.

 

Then why did you make this thread?

 

Instead of trying to make clever remarks (which wasn't clever at all by the way), why not try opening up your mind to some reality!? I made a point, and instead of responding, you figured you'd take the route of sounding cool. It didn't work.
I'd recommend 2 books for you to read (if you have the attention span). 1 is called "No Logo" by Naomi Klein, and the other is "When Corporations Rule the World" by David Korten. If you read them, you may learn for the first time how the U.S. government and corporations operate.