Cleveland 4

The Cleveland 4 were Occupy Cleveland activists, that were arrested on April 30th, 2012. They were accused of plotting a series of bombings, including that of an area bridge.  However, the real story is that the FBI, working with an informant, created the scheme, produced the explosives, and coerced them into participating.
     
    Connor, Doug, and Brandon took non cooperating plea deals and pled guilty to all charges.  The judge applied a "terrorist enhancement" charge to each of them, elongating their sentences as well as subjecting them to harsher prison conditions.  Doug is serving 11.5 years, Brandon 9 years 9 months, and Connor 8 years 1 month. In spring 2018, many organizations withdrew support from Brandon due to his history of manipulating female supporters and lack of accountability for this behavior.  Prisonersolidarity.net support the withdrawal of support until further notice and has modified his entry accordingly.
     
    Skelly took his case to trial. He went pro se and acted as his own lawyer. The FBI offered him a non cooperating plea deal with a 3 year sentence, if he would have plead guilty. Josh refused to plead guilty to something he wasn't guilty of doing. He was found guilty on all counts by his jury and sentenced to 10 years. Even though Skelly had the most minimal role, he got the second longest sentence because he took his case to trial.

    On appeal of there sentencing they were primarily fighting against the life long probation that was handed down at sentencing. Doug also fought against being branded the leader. After months of waiting for a verdict on the appeals, the appeals were denied.
     
    They all continue to fight against the government's attempt to brand them as terrorists and to expose the techniques of entrapment employed by the FBI and their informants.

Media:

The Final Straw Radio show: https://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/post/2013/04/03/the-case-of-the-cleveland-5-the-fbi-entrapment-the-construction-of-terrorists/

 

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United States