arson

The last of the Operation Backfire sentences in Oregon was handed down on June 3 to Jacob Ferguson in Judge Ann Aiken's courtroom in Eugene.

Ferguson received no prison time and five year’s probation. He was given no fine, does not have to pay restitution and will pay $200 in court fees.

The sentence, Aiken said, was a result of extensive cooperation between Ferguson and federal prosecutors.

See the full story in Thursday's EW.

A federal jury in Tacoma, Washington found accused arsonist Briana Waters guilty on two of five counts of arson. The jury could not reach a verdict on the other three counts, one of which, using a destructive device during a crime of violence, has a mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison, according to media reports.

She was found guilty of two counts of arson, which each carry five year minimum sentence. Waters is a violin teacher and a mother of three-year- old child. She was accused of participating in the burning of University of Washington's Center for Urban Horticulture. The Earth Liberation Front (ELF) claimed responsibility for the arson.

More than 12 people have been arrested in connection with the arsons in an investigation the FBI calls Operation Backfire. Waters was the only person to plead innocent to the charges.

Waters' lawyers called for a mistrial after three multi-million dollar homes in a suburb of Seattle were burned early Monday morning, by a person or persons who left a banner emblazoned "ELF" at the scene. The judge denied the motion.

Local activists have speculated the recent Seattle arson may have been done by someone motivated by insurance claims on unsold homes rather than by eco-radicals.