
Cliven Bundy, patriarch of the family responsible for the 40-plus-day standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, made his first appearance in U.S. District Court in Portland at 1:30 pm today.
He faces several charges related to a 2014 standoff at his ranch in Nevada. The charges listed on the complaint filed Thursday morning in U.S. District Court in Nevada include conspiracy, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm related to violent crime, obstructing justice, interfering with commerce, and aiding and abetting.
The 32-page complaint against Papa Bundy describes federal agents in the 2014 standoff—during which they attempted to take possession of the Bundy's cattle—being outnumbered four-to-one and fearing violence by "snipers on bridges." The agents abandoned their bid for the cattle in fear for their own lives back in 2014 because they feared for their lives, the complaint states. Apparently a solo 74-year-old unarmed man in an airport wasn't so threatening.
Bundy arrived Wednesday night at Portland International Airport during what ended up being the final hours of the standoff and was immediately arrested by federal agents.
His sons—Ammon, 40, and Ryan Bundy, 43—each face one federal conspiracy charge for their roles in the armed takeover of the remote Oregon refuge. The younger Bundys were arrested Jan. 26 during a traffic stop in which 55-year-old occupier LaVoy Finicum was shot and killed by law enforcement.
There were 10 defendants taken into custody in Oregon, while Jon Ritzheimer, 32—famous for his dildo-hating—was taken into custody in Arizona.
Just this morning, the final four occupiers surrendered to authorities after a tense round of negotiations that included invoking Jesus, asking for pizza and cookies, and talking UFO conspiracies. You, lucky reader, can listen to the whole thing.