Ammon Bundy, Other Militants Indicted On Conspiracy

By Conrad Wilson, Amanda Peacher

Published May 17, 2018 at 2:43 PM PDT

The indictment charging Ammon Bundy and 15 other militants who occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was released Thursday morning.

Earlier this week, a federal Grand Jury returned an indictment to prosecutors charging the armed occupiers with conspiracy to impede officers of the United States.

The four remaining occupants of the Malheur refuge are among the indicted: Sean Anderson, Sandra Lynn Pfeifer Anderson, David Lee Fry and Jeff Wayne Banta.

As of Wednesday, those four were still occupying the refuge, although all outside communication was cut with the occupiers that afternoon. David Fry had told OPB that the FBI warned them if he or the others inside the refuge spoke with media, they would lose access to incoming calls.

Before communication with the militants was cut, OPB had several phone conversationswith the occupiers. They described their life inside the refuge and said they had enough food and fuel to continue the occupation for an extended time.

In the indictment prosecutors said those charged knowingly conspired “to prevent by force, intimidation, and threats, officers and employees of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service … from discharging the duties of their office at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.”

The indictment also states that "Beginning on January 2, 2016, defendants and conspirators threatened violence against anybody who attempted to remove them from the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge."

Those charged are:

Ammon Bundy

Ryan Bundy

Jon Ritzheimer

Joseph O’Shaughnessy

Ryan Payne

Brian Cavalier

Shawna Cox

Peter Santilli

Jason Patrick

Duane Leo Ehmer

Dylan Anderson

Kenneth Medenbach

Sean Anderson

Sandra Lynn Pfeifer Anderson

David Lee Fry

Jeff Wayne Banta

Ammon Bundy, Joseph O'Shaughnessy, Ryan Payne, Brian Cavalier, Shawna Cox, Peter Santilli, were all taken into custody on Jan. 26 while en route from the refuge to John Day. Jon Ritzheimer voluntarily surrendered at a facility in Arizona the same day.

Jason Patrick, Duane Leo Ehmer, Dylan Anderson, were arrested Jan. 28 as they exited the refuge through an FBI checkpoint. Kenneth Medenbach was arrested Jan. 15, in connection with stolen Malheur National Wildlife Refuge vehicles.

To read the full indictment, .

<p>A police officer steps in between BJ Soper, of the Pacific Patriots Network, and counterprotesters in Burns, Oregon.</p> — A police officer steps in between BJ Soper, of the Pacific Patriots Network, and counterprotesters in Burns, Oregon.

<p>A local resident from Burns who gave her name only as "Dory" shouts "go home militia."</p> — A local resident from Burns who gave her name only as "Dory" shouts "go home militia."

<p>A militia patch on the arm of a protester in Burns, Oregon.</p> — A militia patch on the arm of a protester in Burns, Oregon.

<p>One of the organizers of the initial protest, B.J. Soper of Redmond, speaks through the loudspeaker.</p> — One of the organizers of the initial protest, B.J. Soper of Redmond, speaks through the loudspeaker.

<p>Protesters organized by the Pacific Patriots Network were roughly matched in number by locals counterprotesting at the Harney County Courthouse.</p> — Protesters organized by the Pacific Patriots Network were roughly matched in number by locals counterprotesting at the Harney County Courthouse.

<p>Rancher Monte Siegner, from Riverside, Oregon, takes part in a protest in Burns, Oregon.</p> — Rancher Monte Siegner, from Riverside, Oregon, takes part in a protest in Burns, Oregon.

<p>Liz Appelman confronts a protester on the sidewalk in front of the Harney County Courthouse Monday. </p> — Liz Appelman confronts a protester on the sidewalk in front of the Harney County Courthouse Monday.