Beware of Federal Law.

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semi-lucid

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 25, 2009
Messages
189
Location
Texas
I ran across a news story where the Feds prosecuted a guy for not putting a label on a UPS package, and when the jury didn't convict on that, they charged him for storing chemicals and threw him in Federal Prison :!: :!: :!:

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/07/21/heritage-house-law/

Consider small-time inventor and entrepreneur Krister Evertson, who will testify at today's hearing. Krister never had so much as a traffic ticket before he was run off the road near his mother's home in Wasilla, Alaska, by SWAT-armored federal agents in large black SUVs training automatic weapons on him.

Evertson, who had been working on clean-energy fuel cells since he was in high school, had no idea what he'd done wrong. It turned out that when he legally sold some sodium (part of his fuel-cell materials) to raise cash, he forgot to put a federally mandated safety sticker on the UPS package he sent to the lawful purchaser.

Krister's lack of a criminal record did nothing to prevent federal agents from ransacking his mother's home in their search for evidence on this oh-so-dangerous criminal.

The good news is that a federal jury in Alaska acquitted Krister of all charges. The jurors saw through the charges and realized that Krister had done nothing wrong.

The bad news, however, is that the feds apparently had it in for Krister. Federal criminal law is so broad that it gave prosecutors a convenient vehicle to use to get their man.

Two years after arresting him, the feds brought an entirely new criminal prosecution against Krister on entirely new grounds. They used the fact that before Krister moved back to Wasilla to care for his 80-year-old mother, he had safely and securely stored all of his fuel-cell materials in Salmon, Idaho.

According to the government, when Krister was in jail in Alaska due to the first unjust charges, he had "abandoned" his fuel-cell materials in Idaho. Unfortunately for Krister, federal lawmakers had included in the Resource Recovery and Conservation Act a provision making it a crime to abandon "hazardous waste." According to the trial judge, the law didn't require prosecutors to prove that Krister had intended to abandon the materials (he hadn't) or that they were waste at all -- in reality, they were quite valuable and properly stored away for future use.

With such a broad law, the second jury didn't have much of a choice, and it convicted him. He spent almost two years locked up with real criminals in a federal prison. After he testifies today, he will have to return to his halfway house in Idaho and serve another week before he is released.
 
Those fuel cells must have worked too well. You don't mess with Corporate America.

Benito Mussolini said:
“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power”
 
GSP

I have my share of cynicism towards the corporate giants, however in this case I think the problem is

Government.

:evil:
 
In the U.S., the Government and Corporate America almost totally blend into one entity. You can't separate them. That's not the way our founding fathers set it up, but that's the way it is.

If we're getting the whole story, it sounds like the government is picking on that guy unfairly. If so, they must have a reason. Follow the money. It's always about the money, power, perks, etc.
 
GSP

So basically your asking : What were the extenuating circumstances? Good question.

I asked myself the same question, but the way the story is reported, the reporter, Brian Walsh, seems to be implying that there are no extenuating circumstances. If there are extenuating circumstances, the he did a very bad job of reporting.

Every year, thousands of upstanding, responsible Americans run afoul of some incomprehensible federal law or regulation and end up serving time in federal prison.

What is especially disturbing is that it could happen to anyone at all -- and it has
(Note: This is in the opinion section at Fox News.)

Second, the fact that these Congressmen are holding hearings, (at which Mr Evertson will testify) also seems to inply that there were no extenuating circumstances. During his testimony before congress, Mr Evertson should have the opportunity to speak of the circumstances of his case, what ever they were.

My main point in posting the thread, was to warn people on this forum about shipping chems by UPS without the required labels. :shock:

Best regards.
 
goldsilverpro said:
Follow the money. It's always about the money, power, perks, etc.

You will like seeing this GSP.

Amazingly this looks like a little honesty in Congress of all places.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thR-lVuztIY&feature=channel
 
Oz

Good link. I was aware of Michele Bachmann before, but I think I just became more of a fan.

Give that girl a chair to stand on, I like that. :lol:
 
While I like the whole clip it is after the 3:30 mark that I find the most important.
 
There is a book called "Three Felonies a Day" by Harvey Silvergate that pretty much explains the state of federal law today. Federal law is so voluminous and pervasive that each of us unwittingly commit three felonies a day just going about our daily business. The fact that we are not arrested is simply because the government chooses not to prosecute. But if any of us become an irritation to the feds for any reason, they have the power to put us away regardless of innocence. The standard MO is to bring anywhere from 7-10 charges against an individual and then offer to narrow it down to 1 or 2 in exchange for a plea. These are charges stemming from the original "crime". This is why the vast majority of federal cases end up in pleas bargains. If the accused is foolish enough to fight the charges, he will incur the full wrath of gov't prosecutors. If he is lucky enough to be acquitted of the original charge(es), more will be brought until somethings sticks and he ends up in jail. Unless he is politically connected, the target always ends up in jail. This is the sad state of US federal justice these days.
 
Two thoughts; 1.) Never let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. And, 2.) A wise monkey never monkey's with another monkey's monkey. Not that these apply to the present situation, but hey they make sense. Its a lesson isnt it? The Fed's are somewhat out of control, they can put anyone away for anything at anytime they choose. The fact is that there are so many regulations and laws that it makes it impossible to simply take a wiz without breaking the law makeing criminals out of everyone. Best to stay off of thier radar. I am thinking about selling the house and moving as far out into the boonies as I can to stay away from prying eyes, nosey neighbors and unwanted official types. We live in a scary world.
 
I have not even refined anything yet but am fascinated by the chemistry/science of it. where I live meth labs are frequent and most people don't understand the logic of having glassware in your garage. Anyway, I tried to talk to a recycler about his business and he freaked on me. telling me how dangerous and illegal the processing of chemicals are and how I need to bring my finding to him and reconsider the action. And how the epa would kick down my door and federally prosecute me. he proceeded to ask questions like how many PC's I was doing a month. I replied I had taken only 20 apart and was researching. after the long trip out and stirring me away from the want of doing it, he calmed down a little, and wants me to call him tomorrow. I feel like he was defensive and territorial. I felt like maybe I would find a buddy but found an enemy. Should I avoid this guy? think he's trouble? I researched epa and state laws and found lots for businesses but not low scale hobbyist. After reading on the GRF I find past stories of bad and good. Should I have concern of fed. prosecution?
 
Do you want more good news?

Since then, the government has further expanded their capabilities. In fact, their ability to monitor Americans has increased to such an extent that they’ve built a data center so massive that it can store over a yottabyte of information; that’s 1 trillion terrabytes, or about 100 trillion high definition DVD’s worth of information. The NSA’s new data center is such a game changer, that it prompted one whistle blower to come forward:

http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/all-digital-communications-in-the-united-states-are-being-captured-by-government-surveillance-systems-video_05082013

The program will also include “public service announcements to encourage local citizens to report their neighbors,” reports the newspaper.
http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/floridians-encouraged-to-report-neighbors-who-hate-government_05022013



Is history repeating.....
 
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