After Six Years, ALF/ELF Fugitive Rebecca Rubin Turns Herself In

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Rubin expected to plead guilty to all but the most serious of her charges. 

This has been all over the news the last two days, so I’m just going to focus on two things here: The basics, and the parts of this story so far that might have been easy to miss.

The surrender
Rebecca Rubin turned herself in to US authorities this week after six years on the run (the media has erroneously reported she has been a fugitive for 10 years). She was one of three remaining fugitives in the Operation Backfire case, in which 14 people were charged with a massive ALF / ELF arson campaign over a five year period.

The charges
Rubin is charged with two ALF actions and two ELF actions. The ALF actions are the Nov. 30, 1997, arson at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Facility near Burns, Oregon and setting a fire at the BLM Litch­field Wild Horse and Burro Corrals near Susanville, Calif in 2001. The ELF actions are the arson at a ski lodge in Vail, Colorado in 1998, and the Dec. 22, 1998, attempted arson at the offices of U.S. Forest Industries Inc. in Medford.

Three years in the works
According to her attorney, Rubin has been attempting to negotiate surrender since 2009, pending the prosecutors in every jurisdiction agreeing to a plea deal. One jurisdiction was said to have “balked” at any talk of negotiations, which delayed Rubin’s surrender for three years.

Not assisting the government
She is said to not be assisting the government in locating the last two fugitives in the case: Joseph Dibee and Josephine Sunshine Overaker.

Guilty plea expected in all but the most serious charges
In advance of her surrender, she reportedly arranged a plea deal in which she will plead guilty to all but the most serious of charges against her. She will not be pleading guilty to use of a destructive device, which carries a mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison.

I don’t need to say that life as a fugitive can run a wide spectrum, but it is never easy, and she still has a hard road ahead. To send a letter of support, as of December 2nd, she can be written at:

Rebecca Rubin 98290-011
FDC SEATAC
FEDERAL DETENTION CENTER
P.O. BOX 13900
SEATTLE, WA  98198

 

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Fugitive No Longer Sought in Western Mass, FBI Says

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FBI announces they are no longer looking for fugitive near Northmapton, MA.

In a post last month, I covered the FBI’s announcement that animal liberation fugitive Daniel Andreas San Diego may be in western Massachusetts.

This week, the FBI announced they no longer believe San Diego is in the Northampton area. In the past, the FBI has made similar announcements placing San Diego in Costa Rica, and Virgina.

Daniel Andreas San Diego is wanted for his alleged role in bombings at two HLS-related targets.

– Peter Young

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FBI Claims “New Lead” in Hunt for Fugitive Bombing Suspect

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At press conference, FBI says Daniel Andreas San Diego may be living in Massachusetts.

The TV show “America’s Most Wanted” says it received a tip that an animal research company bombing suspect may be living in Western Massachusetts. Daniel Andreas San Diego has been featured on the show three times, after being indicted in 2004 for two bombings at companies who do business with Huntingdon Life Sciences. He has been a fugitive for over 7 years.

In a press conference today, the FBI said it had received a “recent and current” tip that may place San Diego in MA, and sought the public’s help in capturing him.

San Diego is wanted for two actions:

The August 28, 2003, bombing of Chiron, a biotechnology corporation in Emeryville, California. Claimed by Revolutionary Cells – Animal Liberation Brigade.

The September 26, 2003, bombing of Shaklee, another HLS client in Pleasanton, California, also claimed by Revolutionary Cells – Animal Liberation Brigade.

If convicted of all charges, he faces a minimum 30-year federal prison sentence.

This is the third (by my count) time the FBI has publicly claimed they had “solid leads” on the whereabouts of San Diego. In the past 8 years, they have also placed him in Costa Rica and Virginia, but never made an arrest. Despite the massive amount of attention the FBI has kept on the case through press conferences, America’s Most Wanted segments, and placing San Diego on the “Most Wanted Terrorists” list, Daniel has succeeded in evading capture since 2004.

The FBI listed off features to look for in identifying San Diego, including that he “follows a vegan diet, eating no meat or food containing animal products.”

San Diego is the first US citizen added to the FBI’s list of “most wanted terrorists”. The actions he is accused of inflicted only relatively minor property damage to unoccupied buildings.

This would be a time to ask yourself where you would stand if someone fleeing a 30+ year prison sentence for trying to help animals showed up at your door tonight, seeking refuge. Remember there are humans out there right now being hunted, just as as non-human animals so often are.

Stay free,

Peter Young

 

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