Jonathan Paul

Jonathan Paul, who pled guilty to conspiracy and arson involving the Cavel West horse slaughter plant has been given a report date of Oct. 31 to serve his 51 month sentence.

Paul was designated to FCI Phoenix, a medium security facility. Paul was not given the terrorism enhancement for his participation in the arson.

At his sentencing Paul, a firefighter, said his arson was motivated by "horror and despair" over the suffering of the horses killed for human consumption at the slaughterhouse. He expressed regret at using arson as a tactic and a desire to make amends.

Not all defendants in the Operation Backfire investigation have been designated yet to prisons. Defendants who have been designated, including Nathan "Exile" Block, who was sentenced to 7 years 8 months and received the enhancement, and Daniel McGowan, who also received the enhancement is currently at FCI Sandstone to begin his 7 year sentence. Both defendants are at low security prisons.

It is unclear why Paul, with a shorter sentence and no terrorism enhancement, has been designated medium security.

The last of the Oregon's Operation Backfire defendants was sentenced today to four years three months in prison -- and book report. Jonathan Paul's lawyer had challenged the prison sentence in June, when Aiken first imposed it. However, Aiken rebuffed all four of the legal challenges that were put forth.

Aiken had given recommended reading to previous defendants (See EW 7/5) but today she demanded a book report to be turned into her before Paul reports to prison on October 1.

Paul is to read New York Times bestseller Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Vision to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time which Time Magazine "called an astonishing tale of compassion."

When Aiken turned down defendant Daniel McGowan's request to delay reporting for prison, one of the reasons cited by the government was a children's book The Secret of Terjian, being sold via his prisoner support web site to raise money for those involved in what many call "the Green Scare."

EW still has not received information on when Jacob Ferguson, the defendant whose body-wired recordings with other defendants broke the case open for the government, will appear before Aiken.