White supremacist convicted in plot to kill Obama with 'death ray' device

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

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.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/21/white-supremacist-convicted-plot-to-kill-obama-death-ray-device

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Reuters
Friday 21 August 2015 22.17 BST

[LiberalElite]

1. Good. nt

[99th_Monkey]

2. I'd heard that white supremacist had taken over our police departments

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/21/1384553/-2006-FBI-Report-on-White-Infiltration-of-Law-Enforcement-You-Will-Be-Assimilated#

but hadn't heard about this case until now. Has there been any
coverage of this story before. Did I miss it?

[NuclearDem]

14. It was covered after the arrests.

Colbert had a segment about it.

http://www.cc.com/video-clips/300ry4/the-colbert-report-black-history-month---laser-klan

[navarth]

3. nice boy.

I hope that some time in prison will teach him something. I won't say what else should happen to him.

[backscatter712]

15. It won't.

Savage animals like this need to be kept in a cage for the rest of their lives. Rehabilitation is impossible.

[freshwest]

4. One down, plenty of Dittoheads to go... n/t

[left-of-center2012]

5. mandatory minimum of 25 years to life in prison and a $2m fine

For talking about building a death ray with "Chris Barkerv... who turned out to be cooperating with the FBI".

1. Freedom of speech
2. Entrapment

[Hekate]

8. You seem to be pretty sure it was that trivial

Secret Service et al have dealt with death threats on a massive scale against this president since 2008. They seem to know what they are doing in this regard, and I am glad they do not take it lightly.

You can sit at the local bar and spew nonsense for awhile, but at a certain point it crosses a lime, and apparently he crossed that line pretty profoundly.

[Hoppy]

10. I don't know. The government has produced some bullshit cases since 9-11.

Recall the guys in Florida who were going to blow up the Sears tower in Chicago? Alls they were waiting for was the F.B.I. informer to supply them with Timberland boots.

Yes, there are real threats to minorities and to the president. But there is also bullshit.


Now if this weapon was the same weapon built by Ronald Raygun, I would give credence to the case.

[PosterChild]

16. Just so you know...

... his defense was "entrapment" which was specifically rejected by the jury.

BTW, death threats are not protected speach.

[PatrickforO]

6. Scary.

[davidpdx]

7. Threats to POTUS need to be taken seriously

[riversedge]

9. yes, yes and yes.

[packman]

11. Kind of lost an opportunity here

Should have put him into a room , given him all the computer power possible, equipment, assistants and let him rip. God knows what he could have come up with. Well, now he has the room and lots of time.

[NickB79]

12. Frankly, this is a horribly stupid conviction

The federal government called it a credible threat, even though no one has been able to explain how exactly you'd build a "Hiroshima on a light switch."

To back up their claims, they produced a "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”."

A tube. No power source, no radiological source, no explanation of how where you could even theoretically go from there with regard to construction and usage.

It's on par with someone claiming they were going to poison President Obama with a homeopathic solution of cyanide: in their mind it might make sense, but in reality it's complete scientific woo. Disturbing, and definitely something that would warrant the FBI and Secret Service to pay attention, but not a credible threat.

[PosterChild]

17. And if that someone...

... concocted such a solution, believing its was a powerful poision, and the sent it to the white house, would it be a horibly stupid conviction ?

If he sent a mysterious white powder that he new to be harmless as hoax, would it be horribly stupid to try and convict him?

This guy is a dangerous menace who took specific actions to realize his threats. I'm glad they wwnt after him and convicted him.

[NickB79]

20. Yes, it would be horribly stupid to convict him for use of a WMD if he sent a hoax envelope

In fact, THOUSANDS of such letters have been found in the past decade sent to politicians, with harmless white powder inside: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthrax_hoaxes

Do you see thousands of people in prison right now on charges of WMD possession or attempted murder of a political official? No. Some of them were convicted, but not on same charges this man was convicted on.

Like I said, he was a whack job who deserved careful scrutiny by the FBI. The charges he was convicted on, however, do not fit the crime.

[PosterChild]

21. I have to disagree...

... his plans were plausible and he acted on his plans in colaberation with a partner. They were dead serrious and took positive, concrete steps to carry out their plan. If they did get hold of an industrial strength x-ray device, they could have done a lot of harm. The level of concern and the effort to convict them were absolutely warrented in this case.

If there are thousands of death threats with hoax powder, they should be investigated and proscuted appropriately. However, that wasn't my point. My point was that even in cases where the prepratrator is fully aware that the threat is actually a hoax and not an effective poison, it is entirely reasonable to treat the threat as a crime. When the prepratrator actually belives the threat will be effective, whether it is or not, it is that much more serrious and that much more appropriate to treat the threat as a crime.

While you don't think the charges fit the crime, a jury, after due consideratin, disagrees. I am inclined to trust their judgement.

[candelista]

13. Does his "death ray" work?

Maybe he could get a job with Raytheon when he gets out.

[MosheFeingold]

22. More of a cancer ray, I think

It'll kill you dead, in 20-30 years.

He should have gone with sharks with laser beams.

[daleo]

18. Yet, if he built a real death ray, for the Pentagon

That was used to incinerate human beings on the say-so of a future president, he might have received a medal.

[Judi Lynn]

19. Goodbye to another Republican. n/t