Death ray!!!

[Gob]

A New York white supremacist was convicted by a federal jury on Friday of plotting to use a remote-controlled radiation device he called “Hiroshima on a light switch” to harm Muslims and President Barack Obama.



After less than three hours of deliberation in US district court in Albany, New York, the jury unanimously found Glendon Scott Crawford guilty of all three charges against him.

Crawford, 51, wearing a gray suit and eyeglasses, showed no emotion as judge Gary Sharpe read the verdict.

He was convicted of use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to build and use a radiological dispersal device. He was also convicted of distributing information with respect to a weapon of mass destruction.



“Glendon Scott Crawford was a terrorist who attempted to acquire a weapon of mass destruction and to use it to kill innocent members of the Muslim community,” said Richard Hartunian, US attorney for the northern district of New York.

Hartunian credited the public with giving tips to law enforcement that led to an investigation of Crawford.

At his sentencing on 15 December, Crawford faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years to life in prison and a $2m fine for the radiological dispersal device charge, up to life in prison for the weapon of mass destruction charge and up to 20 years in prison for the distribution of information charge.

In the trial’s closing arguments, assistant US attorney Rick Belliss said the scheme was “very real, very viable and very deadly”.

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Crawford, 51, is a Ku Klux Klan member from Galway. The KKK is described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an American hate group.

Summing up the five-day trial, Belliss played videotapes in which Crawford said he planned for decades to create the device and unleash it on his enemies – Muslims and the White House. Belliss said one target was “a certain liberal politician” who Crawford said was in the White House.

Defense lawyer Kevin Luibrand told jurors Crawford had been entrapped by the government, and he blamed undercover Federal Bureau of Investigations agents for creating the device.

In his closing argument, Luibrand said if “Crawford is guilty of anything, it is proliferating information” but said the government was responsible for creating what the media dubbed the “death ray” machine.

Crawford went to North Carolina to discuss funding his project with Chris Barker, KKK imperial wizard of the Loyal White Knights, who turned out to be cooperating with the FBI.

Belliss held up a glass-enclosed metal “X-ray tube” that he said was similar to the device, saying it was proof that Crawford did “more than hand out pamphlets”.

Luibrand also played several video clips of meetings between two undercover FBI agents and Crawford, who admitted he did not have the technical knowledge to make or operate such a device.

“The government is not allowed to encourage someone to commit a crime,” Luibrand said.

[Econoline]

Defense lawyer Kevin Luibrand told jurors Crawford had been entrapped by the government, and he blamed undercover Federal Bureau of Investigations agents for creating the device. [ ... ]

Luibrand also played several video clips of meetings between two undercover FBI agents and Crawford, who admitted he did not have the technical knowledge to make or operate such a device.

“The government is not allowed to encourage someone to commit a crime,” Luibrand said.

This case does sound a lot like entrapment to me. I don't think that this even rises to the level of a "thought crime" because to call it that would be to overestimate the mental capacity of the accused.

If crazy stupid racists can't have crazy stupid fantasies without the FBI getting involved, what hope is there for the rest of us?

[RayThom]

What a coincidence. That's what I'm known as for my ability to kill any thread I post to. Just watch.

RIP "Death ray!!!"
Fri Aug 21, 2015 9:43 pm --
Sat Aug 22, 2015 12:04 pm

[Big RR]

Econo--I'd like to see more details, but based on what I've seen I'm inclined to agree with you re entrapment.

[Crackpot]

the know how to build is irrelevant if he was gathering materials.

[Lord Jim]

Crawford went to North Carolina to discuss funding his project with Chris Barker, KKK imperial wizard of the Loyal White Knights, who turned out to be cooperating with the FBI.

I don't see the "entrapment" here at all...

He sought out someone who he thought would be like-minded to help finance his plot. The FBI didn't come looking for him and propose this. It's just his bad luck that they guy he sought out turned out to be a government CI...

If I reach out to what I think is a hitman to hire them to kill somebody, I'm not "entrapped" if that "hitman" turns out to a government agent or informant.

The key to an effective entrapmant defense is persuading the jury that the government somehow talked the defendant into doing something he wouldn't otherwise have done. The fact that he was the one who proactively went looking for help pretty much blows that out of the water.

[liberty]

Defense lawyer Kevin Luibrand told jurors Crawford had been entrapped by the government, and he blamed undercover Federal Bureau of Investigations agents for creating the device. [ ... ]

Luibrand also played several video clips of meetings between two undercover FBI agents and Crawford, who admitted he did not have the technical knowledge to make or operate such a device.

“The government is not allowed to encourage someone to commit a crime,” Luibrand said.

This case does sound a lot like entrapment to me. I don't think that this even rises to the level of a "thought crime" because to call it that would be to overestimate the mental capacity of the accused.

If crazy stupid racists can't have crazy stupid fantasies without the FBI getting involved, what hope is there for the rest of us?

You better watch it Econo you could be accused racism for expressing doubts about Obama’s justice department, “Operation Fast And Furious” anyone. I didn't think so.

[rubato]

Death ray?


He sounds like a delusional doodlebug to me. Reminds me of the character in "Murphy" who was determined to commit suicide by apnea (and no other means).


yrs,
rubato

[Big RR]

Jim--while I'll admit I do not know the intricacies of federal entrapment law, we'll see how the appeals play out. Here we see a delusional guy who even admitted he didn't know how to make the device he discussed looking for funding from an informant; if that funding did not feed his delusion, it probably would have ended there, but the informant encouraged that delusion. I do think that is entrapment.

Crackpot, I don't think so; materials for what, for some sort of death ray he didn't know how to make? If I sought funds to make a time machine so I could go (perhaps to Kenya) and strangle Obama as an infant, would I be guilty of anything other than being an ass? The test is, if the facts are as he believed them to be, would he have committed a crime, but included in that is the possibility that the facts as he believed them would have been a crime, and if he could not build the ray he did nothing more than collect money for nothing. This might be fraud, but it is not "use of a weapon of mass destruction" or an attempt to build such a device since he had no way of doing that no mater hat funds he had. Again, we'll see what the appeals court says, but I hope they apply reason to their decision.

[Crackpot]

Re was searching for radioactive materials

[Big RR]

Yes, but to what end? He couldn't make what he wanted,

[rubato]

Re was searching for radioactive materials

But could he have described or given examples of radioactive materials?


yrs,
rubato

[Long Run]

Luibrand also played several video clips of meetings between two undercover FBI agents and Crawford, who admitted he did not have the technical knowledge to make or operate such a device.

“The government is not allowed to encourage someone to commit a crime,” Luibrand said.

This is similar to the Muslim terrorist young male here in Portland who wanted to support the cause and sought to blow up a bomb during the popular Christmas (sorry, "holiday") tree lighting. That dufus hated America and wanted to blow up a bomb and kill people, lots of people. He had no idea how to make a bomb. He affirmatively stated numerous times to the undercover agents that he wanted to move ahead with this crime. He pressed the "explode" button. He is in prison the rest of his life. (Thanks to the Muslim community members who alerted the authorities to the danger of this misguided idiot).

The idiot Crawford similarly had no idea how to carry out his crime, but showed his clear willingness to proceed with the crime. If the FBI acted in the same way as in Portland, they would have asked many questions about whether he wanted to do this, and he would have agreed. This is not a thought crime, the defendant clearly has shown he is a danger to this country. Let him bunk with the idiot criminal from Portland.

[Econoline]

Bombs are a real thing. Death rays are not.

[Gob]

He just married the wrong person...

I fell in love with an alien being
whose skin was jelly - whose teeth were green
she had the big bug eyes and the death-ray glare
feet like water wings - purple hair
I was over the moon - I asked her back to my place
then I married the monster - from outer space

The days were numbered - the nights were spent
in a rent free furnished oxygen tent
where a cyborg chef served up moon beams
done super rapid on a laser beam
I needed nutrition to keep up the pace
when I married the monster from outer space

We walked out - tentacle in hand
you could sense that the earthlings would not understand
they'd go, nudge nudge when we got off the bus
saying it's extra-terrestial - not like us
and it's bad enough with another race
but fuck me, a monster from outer space

In a cybernetic fit of rage
she pissed off to another age
she lives in 1999
with her new boyfriend - a blob of slime
each time I see her translucent face
I remember the monster from outer space

[Big RR]

LR--I don't recall all the details of the Oregon case, but as I recall, he went to mosques (or other moselm organizations) to seek people who were experienced in bomb making and set up a group which included the government informants posing as bomb makers. He provided support ion getting funds and providing workspace, and they even live tested a bomb which exploded. He knew what he wanted to do and he took steps which were reasonably calculated toward achieving it.

here you have a deluded guy with an idea he could make a death ray if he could get the money. He recruited some financial backers but no technical expertise, and he could not have made a bomb; indeed, one might wonder (as rubato did) if he really knew what he was after and why. it was a delusion with NON chance of success, and the government infromers goaded him on even though he said he had no idea how to make the device, and he took no steps reasonably calculated toward making it.

[MajGenl.Meade]

That Death Ray Explained

Tourist: Why do your sheep think they're birds?

Shepherd: A fair question. One thing is for sure, the sheep is not a creature of the air. They have enormous difficulty in the comparatively simple act of perchin'... (baaa baaa... flap flap... thud) ...as you see. As for flight its body is totally unadapted to the problems of aviation. Trouble is, sheep are very dim. Once they get an idea in their 'eads, there's no shiftin' it.

Tourist: But where did they get the idea from?

Shepherd: From Harold. He's that sheep over there under the elm. He's that most dangerous of animals, a clever sheep. He's the ring leader. He has realized that a sheep's life consists of standin' around for a few months and then bein' eaten. And that's a depressing prospect for an ambitious sheep. He's patently hit on the idea of escape.

Tourist: Well why don't you just get rid of Harold?

Shepherd: Because of the enormous commercial possibilities should he succeed.

[Long Run]

In the trial’s closing arguments, assistant US attorney Rick Belliss said the scheme was “very real, very viable and very deadly”.

After less than three hours of deliberation in US district court in Albany, New York, the jury unanimously found Glendon Scott Crawford guilty of all three charges against him.

Obviously, none of us know much about this case. But these two quotes should make one pause before accepting the "death ray" red herring/headline grabber as a key part of the actual story.

[Big RR]

Re the US attorney's arguments, I'd have to see what he characterized the "scheme" as; if it was creating a death ray, I find it incredible. If it was creating some other kind of weapon such as a dirty bomb, I would have to look closely to see who came up with that idea to see if entrapment existed.

[rubato]

In the trial’s closing arguments, assistant US attorney Rick Belliss said the scheme was “very real, very viable and very deadly”.

But were the "very real, very viable and very deadly" aspects from the defendant or force-fed from someone else?


yrs,
rubato