Final four holdouts in refuge takeover make first federal court appearance

The final four holdouts in the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge appeared one by one in federal court Friday afternoon, a day after they surrendered to end a 41-day occupation of the bird sanctuary.

Nevada Assemblywoman Michele Fiore, who helped convince them to give up, waved to each from the front row of the packed courtroom in Portland.

David Fry, 27, the last of the occupiers, was led into court wearing a thick full-length anti-suicide smock, his arms and chest bare beneath it.

At the refuge Thursday morning, Fry had said he was feeling suicidal and wanted to die a free man during a livestream broadcast heard by tens of thousands of listeners. His last-minute balking caused a tense delay after the other three had walked out to waiting federal agents. Fry ultimately gave up after about an hour.

Fry, of Blanchester, Ohio, Sean Anderson, 47, and his wife, Sandy Anderson, 48, of Riggins, Idaho, and Jeff Banta, 46, of  Yerington, Nevada, all pleaded not guilty to federal indictments charging each with one count of conspiring to impede federal officers from doing their work at the wildlife sanctuary, managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

A tearful Sandra Anderson blew Fiore a kiss and mouthed "thank you," before she was led out of the courtroom.

"It's quite a leap to say military service says it's OK to walk around with a concealed weapon when he doesn't have a concealed weapon permit,'' the judge replied.

Stanek's gun was in a holster, "open carry,'' his lawyer said, as Stanek nodded his head.

Anderson added that Stanek had abandoned his rifle and other gun at the refuge when he left after the Jan. 26 arrests of the leaders, including Ammon Bundy and his brother, Ryan.

After court, Fiore and two other Nevada legislators spoke outside the federal courthouse.

Fiore said she made the last refuge occupiers a promise "that I wouldn't leave them alone as we go on to the next battlefield,'' referring to the challenge in court of the federal government's conspiracy case.

"I truly believe the refuge and the people who stood on the refuge today are prisoners because they exercised their right to political free speech,'' she said.

She decried the indictments of the refuge occupiers, saying the penalties don't fit the crimes. She said the occupiers went to the refuge "to go against the bully'' in a peaceful protest.

"We're talking about a bunch of cowboys camping in the middle of nowhere,'' she said.

Fry, the two Andersons and Banta will be back in court next Friday for detention hearings.  Thorn's detention hearing will be next Tuesday.

The conspiracy charge carries a maximum of six years in prison.

-- Maxine Bernstein