Scott DeMuth Released From Prison After Six Months

DeMuth released after serving time for raid that shut down ferret farm

News of this came in late and without much fanfare, but last month Scott DeMuth was quietly released from federal prison. He served six months for the Animal Liberation Front-claimed ferret liberation at a former fur farm in Howard Lake, Minnesota. The prosecutor in the case stated in court the action shut down the farm for good.

Scott DeMuth was originally charged with a role in the 2004 Animal Liberation Front raid of the University of Iowa, in which 401 animals were liberated and $500,000 damages done to the labs. When the prosecution failed to produce evidence of DeMuth’s involvement (he was 17 at the time of the raid), the charges were dismissed in exchange for DeMuth’s guilty plea in the Lakeside Ferrets action.

Reportedly a raid of DeMuth’s home turned up a computer which a computer forensics labs determined was used to look up the address of the farm prior to the raid.

The last month has seen two other animal liberation prisoners released – Jonathan Paul and Kevin KJonaas. Presently, the only two A.L.F. prisoners who remain in jail are Walter Bond and Justin Solondz.

The action

The Animal Liberation Front claimed responsibility for the 2006 raid at Lakeside Ferrets. Reportedly, the communique mistakenly described the animals released as mink. The owner Eugene Latzig claimed he had left the mink farming business and began breeding ferrets at some time prior to the raid. The farm was formerly called the Latzig Mink Ranch, and was raided by the Animal Liberation Front in 1996. The business changed its name to Lakeside Ferrets at some point in the years since.

Welcome home, Scott.

Read the full history of the case at the Davenport Grand Jury website.

– Peter Young

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