Oregon protesters who occupied at a U.S. wildlife refuge have been indicted to a series of new criminal charges, which includes possession of firearms, theft and government property damage. Federal jury returned the indictment on Tuesday and unsealed on Wednesday in federal court in Portland.
The indictment is against, brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy and other participants involved in the armed occupation of the Malheur national wildlife refuge, Guardian reported. The occupation, started on January 2 with at least a dozen armed men, sparked a standoff on the said remote area in Oregon.
The last four occupiers turned in to the federal authorities last month as FBI officials arrested and charged people, following their armed protest against the government that controls public lands, disputing land rights.
Twenty six defendants are on the list and each has one count of conspiring to impede federal agents. Bundy brothers faces additional charges, along with other protesters are indicted to "possession of firearms and dangerous weapons in federal facilities, and the use and carrying of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence," Street Insider cited.
Among the protesters, Sean Anderson along with another sympathizer is charge with depredation of government property. Court documents stated that Anderson and the other one, whose name was censored allegedly, "damaged the archeological site" through heavy equipment. The site is known as a sacred location for the Burns Paiute Tribe, according to Reuters.
Ryan Bundy and fellow Jon Ritzheimer are also facing the same government theft charge for their use of "cameras and related equipment" owned by the federal government. Local tribal leaders were greatly saddened on the potential damage protesters are causing to burial grounds and important artifacts.
FBI investigators recently revealed that they discovered significant amounts of human faeces in trenches dug on grounds the tribe considers sacred. They also said they are working with the tribe in order to determine the damages to the sacred sites throughout the 42 day occupation.
