Five Alaska Militia Members Arrested in Plot to Murder Judge, State Troopers

Five members of a sovereign citizen right wing militia group were arrested yesterday in Alaska over a plot to murder state judges and law enforcement. The five are led by Francis “Schaeffer” Cox, who has had numerous run-ins with law enforcement in the past couple of years.

Francis “Schaeffer” Cox, Lonnie Vernon, Karen Vernon, Coleman Barney and Michael Anderson are accused of conspiring to commit murder, kidnapping, and arson, as well as weapons misconduct, hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence, according to trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters in a written statement late Thursday.

An investigation “revealed extensive plans to kidnap or kill Alaska state troopers and a Fairbanks judge,” the statement said. The plans included “extensive surveillance” on the homes of two Fairbanks troopers, the statement said.

“Investigation also revealed that extensive surveillance on troopers in the Fairbanks area had occurred, specifically on the locations of the homes for two Alaska state troopers,” the statement said. “Furthermore, Cox et. al. had acquired a large cache of weapons in order to carry out attacks against their targeted victims. Some of the weapons known to be in the cache are prohibited by state or federal law.”

U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler said Lonnie Vernon, 55, was arrested for threatening to kill a federal judge. She said more information about federal charges would be released today Fairbanks Police Chief Loren Zager said the operation involved multiple police actions related to Fairbanks-area members of the “sovereign citizen” movement.

Cox isn't playing with a full deck as he dabbles in conspiracy theories that would give rise to the UN controlling the US and that the US and state governments are illegitimate and have been since actions taken by President Lincoln dissolved the US Constitution and reformed the government. He thinks that going to prison will give him the opportunity to recruit more to his cause.



Moreover, doesn't consider the courts to have any jurisdiction over him either:

If you've been following the ongoing matter of the misdemeanor weapons misconduct charges against Fairbanks militia leader Schaeffer Cox since hearings began this month, you know it has been unusual. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported that at a recent hearing, Cox argued on his own behalf that Alaska's court system is a for-profit corporation and has no authority over him because he is a "sovereign citizen." He also presented District Judge Patrick Hammers with "criminal papers" and a restraining order issued by "a de jure" court. After the hearing Cox told the News-Miner he's not concerned about jail time: “Worst case, I go to jail for 30 days and educate all the prisoners and leave a screaming bee hive behind me." Also after the hearing, Cox told a trooper that militia members have the Alaska State Troopers "outmanned and outgunned" and "could probably have [them] all dead in one night." Read much, much more from the News-Miner's Dec. 15 report, here.

This guy believes that Lincoln replaced the US Constitution with one that incorporated the US:

Cox claims he and all Americans are sovereigns, or kings and queens, and no one is required to obey laws unless not doing so would directly harm other sovereigns. Much of his claims center around the belief President Lincoln subverted the original Constitution and replaced it with a copy that incorporated the United States. Over the summer, the Southern Poverty Law Center released a report estimating that as many 300,000 Americans consider themselves sovereign citizens. The movement has grown with the poor economy, the growth of the Internet and the election of President Obama.

Cox believes the federal government will fail soon and a de jure — or legally established — republic will be at the ready to replace it. Cox also claims to be the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff in the de jure republic.

The dubiousness of these kinds of claims makes you want to
*double facepalm* - when one simply wont do. Yet,there is a small but notable group of people who are pushing these kinds of claims, and they're armed and willing to act on their distorted worldview.

This guy is a loony bin of crazy:

Cox, a carpenter by trade, leads a group called the Second Amendment Task Force. Its website features combat footage from Afghanistan alongside videos detailing a United Nations-orchestrated plot to deprive Americans of their constitutional right to bear arms. Earlier this year, Cox founded a second organization, the Fairbanks-based Alaska Peacemakers Militia. Its members pledge to keep “thugs” from doing “stupid, lawless stuff” in the event of a natural disaster or the collapse of civil society. They also warn of dire consequences if the federal government crosses a rather loosely defined “line in the sand.”