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Documents: Two informants helped FBI in Fairbanks
'241' militia bust
Schaeffer Cox, pictured in the middle, with his fellow
Militia Members
March 29, 2011
NewsMiner
by Sam Friedman
FAIRBANKS — The FBI used two informants when
investigating the alleged “241” murder plot, according to federal court
documents unsealed Friday.
One informant was promoted to the “command staff” of Francis “Schaeffer
“ Cox’s Peacemakers Militia in February; the other was sought out as a
source of weapons in Anchorage, according to the documents.
Both confidential sources were compensated and will be compensated in
the future, according to the documents. Both had been working with the
FBI for about 10 months, but were not aware that the other source was
working for the FBI.
The three new documents — each about 24 pages — are affidavits sworn by
an FBI agent in support of search warrants on the property of Cox and
co-defendant Coleman Barney. The search warrants were signed March 8.
Cox, Barney and fellow militia members Michael Anderson, Lonnie Vernon
and his wife Karen Vernon were arrested March 10 and face more than 20
charges including conspiracy to commit murder. Barney’s wife, Rachel
Barney, also has been charged with hindering prosecution for allegedly
harboring Cox while he was a fugitive and has been issued a summons.
The sources are denoted CS-1 (Confidential Source One) and CS-2 in the
documents.
CS-1 is described as a convicted felon who hoped to have a pending
felony fraud charge reduced or dismissed through his cooperation with
law enforcement. CS-2 has no criminal record, according to the
documents.
Recordings made by CS-1 include a Feb. 12 meeting where Cox reportedly
announced plan “241” (two for one) whereby militia members were told to
respond to any attempt by law enforcement to execute an arrest warrant
on Cox with twice the force — kidnapping two judges, Alaska State
Troopers or district attorneys for every militia member arrested and
killing two people if a militia member is killed in any potential
conflict. Later, CS-1 recorded Cox pointing out the homes of two Alaska
State Troopers on a map and gave him a piece of paper with the name of a
trooper to add to the target list.
At a March 5 meeting, Cox reportedly made plans to sneak his family out
of Alaska in a truck trailer and return to Alaska alone to “wage
guerrilla warfare.”
The documents also describe a trip made by Lonnie Vernon and CS-1 to a
statewide militia convention in Anchorage, Feb. 4 through 6. Cox
canceled his own attendance at the conference because his wife was
having a child, but he tasked Vernon and CS-1 with acquiring pineapple
grenades and C4 explosive. State and federal prosecutors have not stated
that Cox and his associates succeeded in acquiring C4, but it does
accuse them of possessing illegal pineapple grenades, automatic weapons
and gun silencers.
Neither Cox, Barney or the Vernons have had any firearms registered in
their names in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Records
database since 2005, according to the documents.
While in Anchorage, the Vernons and CS-1 reportedly met with CS-2 and an
individual who identified himself as the “fuse king” in an effort to get
silencers and make hand grenades functional.
Also during the trip, Vernon reportedly explained plans to kill federal
Judge Ralph Beistline. The Vernons are in the middle of a court battle
with the IRS over taxes, and could lose their house to pay more than
$160,000 in back taxes, penalties and interest. The Vernons were
representing themselves in the case and Beistline is presiding over
their case. In recent cases he had expressed frustration with the
Vernons for their “nonsensical” argument that the government does not
have the authority to tax them.
Cox has his own history of challenging the government’s authority. When
facing a misdemeanor charge of not notifying a police officer while
carrying a concealed firearm, he also represented himself and once said
he would treat a court date like an “invitation to a Tupperware party.”
A warrant was issued for his arrest Feb. 14 after he did not appear at a
jury trial on the misdemeanor weapons charge on that date.
Cox organized his own “common law” trial at the Fairbanks Denny’s
Restaurant.
The common law court acquitted Cox of the weapons charge and a reckless
endangerment charge Cox had pleaded guilty to in state court in March,
2010, according to the FBI affidavits.
Also described in the FBI affidavits is more information about weapons
caches the militia reportedly had in the Fairbanks area.
One was on property rented out by Cox off Bradway Road in North Pole;
another was on Chena Hot Springs Road, according to the document.
Militia members reportedly moved another cache from Barney’s house to
the Fairbanks Ice Park the day of their arrests, while taking one of
Barney’s children on a trip to the Ice Park.
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