Freedom Fireworks Jamboree at the Browns

Post by **Demosthenes** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 12:38 pm

More fireworks up at the Brown residence
ATF agents blow up bombs from property

The Valley News
October 13. 2007 12:35AM

More than a week after federal agents arrested Ed and Elaine Brown and spirited them to prisons out of state, the anti-tax crusaders' neighbors and other Plainfield residents are still waiting for peace and quiet to return.

Yesterday, local and federal law enforcement officials confirmed that explosives experts from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms spent Thursday removing homemade bombs from the Browns' property on Center of Town Road and blowing up the devices at a remote location elsewhere in town.

"(Thursday's round of explosions) was one of the final steps in rendering the crime scene safe," U.S. Marshal Stephen Monier said from his office in Concord. "These were controlled detonations. As far as I understand, the explosions are done, but we're not done with the search yet."

He added: "There's a lot of work to do up there."

So Plainfielders continue to notice, in the wake of the Oct. 4 arrests when U.S. Marshal's deputies ended the Browns' eight-month standoff with federal authorities

Aside from the checkpoint that the New Hampshire State Police set up partway up Center of Town Road the day after the arrests, resident David Grobe said yesterday that he noticed a "vanload of dogs at the beginning of all this" and a " huge amount of extra traffic" heading to the Browns' house late Thursday morning - "a dozen, maybe 20 vehicles."

The first-day search of the 110-acre property, where the Browns holed up in January after their convictions on federal tax-evasion charges, revealed what Monier described at the time as "a large number of improvised explosive devices, both inside the residence and out," as well as "a large number of weapons and ammunition inside the house" and booby traps in the surrounding woods.

As IEDs started detonating in a gravel pit near the Connecticut River, the telephone started ringing at the Plainfield police station and Town Hall in Meriden.

"We did hear a few complaints about explosives going off," Plainfield Cpl. Paul Roberts said. "It was not at the Brown property. It was something the ATF did, and it was off-site."

Monier said that he had no details about the shapes, the numbers and the power of the IEDs that the ATF detonated in Plainfield. Manchester-based ATF agents and the state-police explosives expert who were overseeing the bomb disposal did not return telephone messages yesterday afternoon.

Grobe said that he was at Town Hall as phones were ringing with inquiries about the explosions, and that "they had even gotten a call from Windsor."

"People might have the perception that with the Browns' arrest, it is over," Grobe added. "Clearly, it is not. We believed the Browns when they said they had weapons. We're not really surprised."

The caretaker of Justice Stephen Breyer's property across from the Browns' land was also uneasy.

"It is (scary), especially being responsible for Judge Breyer's property," said Gordon Wilder, the longtime caretaker of the vacation home that U.S. Supreme Court justice owns off Center of Town Road.

And it's not over just yet.

"It's less scary than when it was a federal marshal with a flak jacket and automatic weapons stopping us on the road," Grobe said, "but a state trooper still gets your attention."

. · Post by . » Sat Oct 13, 2007 2:00 pm

Monier said that he had no details about the shapes, the numbers and the power of the IEDs

Perhaps those details will be in a future indictment.

Breyer's property across from the Browns' land

Close proximity of diametric opposites.

Ironic.

Post by **grixit** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 6:05 pm

. wrote:
Breyer's property across from the Browns' land
Close proximity of diametric opposites.

Ironic.

According to Marx, that is how society progresses.

Truthstalker · Post by **Truthstalker** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:29 pm

Quote:
Breyer's property across from the Browns' land

Close proximity of diametric opposites.

Ironic.

According to Marx, that is how society progresses.

But with Marx, both Breyer and Brown would be "Party" operatives.

Post by **notorial dissent** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:27 pm

So, along with the original and relatively minor tax evasion charges, they can now add resisting arrest and what not, the Federal firearms violations, and they can now also add unlawful possession and use of explosives to the list of Federal charges to all concerned. If they decide to press charges, and I really don't see how they can avoid it now, the Brown's will be permanent guests of club fed. Such a wonderful way to spend one’s retirement years. NOT!!!!!!

Lambkin · Post by **Lambkin** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:58 pm

It won't ever make sense, you just can't reason with a full colon.

Post by **Famspear** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 11:02 pm

Notorial Dissent wrote:

So, along with the original and relatively minor tax evasion charges, they can now add resisting arrest and what not, the Federal firearms violations, and they can now also add unlawful possession and use of explosives to the list of Federal charges to all concerned [ . . . ]

Resisting arrest? Federal firearms? Unlawful possession of explosives? Ed's response may be: "Show me the law!"

Post by **webhick** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 2:29 am

CaptainKickback wrote:If someone really wants to pile on to Ed, I bet they can add counts of conspiracy, terrorist threats, harboring a fugitive (Elaine Brown, who was told not to go there), possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and mopery with intent to gawk.

You forgot destruction of government property from when he cut the bracelet off Elaine.

Did the locals ever find the people who stole the car counter?

Post by **notorial dissent** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:28 am

Famspear wrote: Resisting arrest? Federal firearms? Unlawful possession of explosives? Ed's response may be: "Show me the law!"

Actually, I rather suspect they'll just show him the prison cell that will be his retirement home now, as opposed to the one he might have spent his declining years in. Who said dumb wasn't painful!!!

Question everything · Post by **Question everything** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 1:31 am

Looking at this from another angle, he did find "the" way to become tax free.

Post by **The Observer** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 3:43 am

Lambkin wrote:It won't ever make sense, you just can't reason with a full colon.

Are you saying that if Ed was given an enema, he would have given up his luidicrous positions?

Post by **The Observer** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 3:44 am

grixit wrote:
. wrote:
Breyer's property across from the Browns' land
Close proximity of diametric opposites.

Ironic.
According to Marx, that is how society progresses.

When did Groucho ever say that?

tracer · Post by **tracer** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:20 pm

I think it was Harpo who said it. Which is, in and of itself, an amazing thing.

(And, hey, let's not forget Hegel's contribution to the concept of Dialectical Materialism here!)