Peggy A Lautenschlager
United States Attorney
Western District of Wisconsin
(608) 264-5158

Contact: Peggy Lautenschlager, United States Attorney. Robert A. Anderson, Assistant U.S. Attorney

Guilty Pleas Entered in Nation's First Prosecution of Animal Enterprise Terrorism for Mink Farm Releases

Madison, Wisconsin - Peggy A. Lautenschlager, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that on Wednesday, August 30, 2000, Justin Clayton Samuel, 21, of Snohomish, Washington, pleaded guilty to two counts of animal enterprise terrorism in the United States District Count in Madison, based on his participation in a conspiracy to release mink from mid-western mink farms.

Animal enterprise terrorism prohibits traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of disrupting animal enterprises if the disruption results in economic damage of more than $10,000. Samuel was charged with conspiring to commit this offense as well as attacking a farm in Wisconsin with that objective in October 1997. The charges resulted from his participation in a cross-country trip through numerous mid-western states releasing mink from farms with Peter Daniel Young, who is still a fugitive. During the cross-country trip, Samuel and Young carried dark clothing and masks, along with bolt cutters and a copy of a list of addresses of mid-western farms that raise animals for fur production. This list of fur farms was produced by a national animal rights terrorist organization known as the Animal Liberation Front. The Animal Liberation Front claimed responsibility for at least one of the attacks committed by Samuel and Young.

During their travel through Wisconsin in October 1997, Samuel and Young attacked mink farms in Independence, Tomahawk and Medford, Wisconsin. Wisconsin was targeted because it is one of the largest mink producing states in the country. Samuel and Young were indicted in September 1998. Samuel remained a fugitive until September 1999, when he was arrested in Hasselt, Belgium, and has been in custody since that time. The United States extradited Samuel from Belgium to Wisconsin to face charges for terrorist activity. This appears to be the first conviction in the United States under the animal enterprise terrorism statute.

United States District Court Magistrate Judge Stephen L. Crocker scheduled Samuel's sentencing for November 3 at 1:30 p.m. Samuel faces a maximum penalty of up to one year imprisonment on each of the two charges, as well as a fine of up to $100,000.00 on each count and the entry of an order for restitution to be made to the victimized farms.

The charges against Samuel were the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Prosecution of the case has been handled by United States Attorney Peggy A. Lautenschlager and Assistant United States Attorney Robert A. Anderson.

See also:

Accused Ecoterrorist Justin Samuel Pleads Guilty FCUSA press release, Aug. 31, 2000.
Grand Jury Indicts Two for "Ecoterror" Crime Spree FCUSA press release, Sept. 22, 1998.

For further information contact: Teresa Platt, Executive Director, Fur Commission USA, PMB 506, 826 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118-2698 USA, (619) 575-0139, (619) 272-2467/fax, furfarmers@aol.com, www.furcommission.com. See also Teresa's blog and Facebook.

To take a cyber-tour of a fur farm, visit FCUSA's Fur on Film.

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