Hutaree
Encyclopedia
Hutaree is a militia movement group adhering to the ideology of the Christian Patriot movement, based in Adrian
, Michigan
, in the United States
.
The group was formed in early 2008. The name "Hutaree" appears to be a neologism; the group's web site says that it means "Christian warriors".
The group was allegedly preparing for what they believed would be an apocalyptic battle with the forces of the Antichrist
, whom they believed would be supported and defended by local
, state
and federal police departments. On their website, all police and military members who would support the current U.S. system of local, state or federal government were described as members of the "brotherhood", and were considered by the Hutaree to be "enemies".
From March 28 to March 30, 2010, nine people thought to be Hutaree members were arrested in police raids in Michigan, Ohio
, and Indiana
(in Hammond
), for their alleged involvement in a plot to kill various police officers and possibly civilians using illegal explosives and/or firearms. An undercover agent played a role in the investigation that led indictments. Grand jury testimony by a law enforcement officer referred to an "undercover FBI agent" who worked on the case, the FBI declined to comment, but infiltration is a common tactic for law-enforcement officials targeting domestic militia groups.
On May 3, 2010 a federal judge ordered that all nine members be freed on bond until their trial, saying that prosecutors were not able to demonstrate that the defendants would pose a danger if released.
is near but has not yet begun and will occur in the future. An article on the Hutaree website suggested that Javier Solana
, former Secretary General
of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and of the Western European Union
, may be the Antichrist.
According to some sources the group is described as practicing survivalism
. Most of the members were active voters with unidentified political party affiliation.
Many videos posted on the Hutaree's website support several right-wing organizations, politicians, and news commentators. A former fiancee of Hutaree leader David Stone, has claimed that he was a "Ron Paul
fanatic".
Several of their site videos include coverage of congressman Paul. Some of their videos claimed that the aims of the United Nations
were hostile to American values and philosophy, and also included unsupported assertions that the UN leadership and the U.S. government were secretly plotting to subvert or destroy their own Charter Documents, namely the U.S. Constitution
and the UN's Declaration of Human Rights
.
The Hutaree insignia
includes a sword, crossed spears, and the letters "CCR" which stand for "Colonial Christian Republic."
Hutaree members use a unique system of paramilitary ranks
with titles from highest to lowest: Radok, Boramander, Zulif, Arkon, Rifleman (three grades), Lukore, and Gunner (three grades).
University of Pennsylvania
linguistics
professor Mark Liberman commented: "I don't see basis in biblical or military history for Radok, Boramander, Zulif, Arkon, and Lukore. They sound kind of like Pokémon
names (e.g. Arbok, Charmander, Zubat), but there's no precedent there, either."
One man who once contemplated joining the group, a Mr. Savino, was refused admission due to his being a Muslim. This same individual later provided information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) which appears to have assisted them in capturing the last indicted Hutaree at large, Joshua Stone.
The recent federal indictment against the Hutaree members in federal custody centered around the Hutaree's apparent plans to employ extreme
violence to replace all (or most) current forms of U.S. government. What appears to have been the primary motivating factor behind their plans was the Hutaree's seemingly consuming resentment of all police and military, the current U.S. government in general, and the United Nations
.
(SPLC), the doctrines of such groups are often fueled by a certain "anger over the changing demographics of the country, the soaring public debt, the troubled economy and an array of initiatives by President Barack Obama
that have been branded 'socialist
' or even 'fascist
' by the heated rhetoric of his political opponents."
Another SPLC report notes that the number of U.S. militia groups like the Hutaree have increased three-fold since 2008 (from 42 in 2008 to 127 in 2009), and the number of sympathetic groups has doubled in the same two-year period.
The press release further stated that nine had been indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit on charges of seditious conspiracy
, attempted use of weapons of mass destruction
, teaching the use of explosive materials, and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. The indictment said that the Hutaree planned to attack law enforcement vehicles during the funeral procession for the officer(s) they planned to kill, using improvised explosive devices of the Explosively formed penetrator
variety, thus constituting the formal, Federal
statutory definition of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Some articles suggest the Hutaree had not yet determined whom in law enforcement they would kill, and even that they wished to kill a law enforcement officer in order to begin a war with law enforcement, while not having any specific target.
The FBI was aided in its investigation by members of another militia group who had learned of the Hutaree's plans.
On May 3, 2010, U.S. District Judge Victoria A. Roberts
ordered all nine defendants to be released on bond, over the objection of Federal prosecutors. "The order is silent as to any financial aspects of the bonds. In federal court, defendants are normally released on $10,000 unsecured bonds, meaning they do not have to put up any money." The court ruled that five of the Hutaree remain in custody. The ruling applies to David Stone, Sr., Joshua Stone, Joshua Clough, Michael Meeks and Thomas Piatek. Four other members have already been released on bond. The court ordered that they be placed on electronic monitors.
In addition to being confined to their homes, outside of time spent away from work (or while seeking employment), some additional requirements were placed on individual defendants, for example, alleged leader David Brian Stone Sr. is barred from having any contact with Michigan-based militia activist Mark Koernke
.
The federal government in June 2010 added charges that David Stone Sr., Joshua Stone and Clough illegally possessed automatic rifles and that David Stone Sr., David Stone Jr. and Joshua Stone possessed unregistered firearms.
In February 2011, Judge Victoria A. Roberts set a new trial date of Sept. 13, 2011 after defense attorneys asked for more time to review the hundreds of pages of evidence prosecutors have provided them. Attorneys also cited the complexity of the case in asking for a delay.
The case originally was to go to trial on Feb. 28, 2011. Roberts first delayed the trial in December 2010 until April after attorneys made a similar request.
The Hutaree members’ attorneys say that what an undercover federal agent and an informant claim was being planned was only talk, and is constitutionally protected speech.
groups condemned the Hutaree, stating that the Hutaree was not a militia and that the Michigan Militia
does not support or advocate for the use of violence against the United States of America except "in the very unlikely event that the Government openly attacks its citizens".
The Hutaree contacted the Michigan Militia
for assistance during the stand-off with the Federal Government, the Michigan Militia
turned down the call to arms after brief discussion, allowing the Hutaree members to be taken into custody without issue. The Michigan Militia
was fully cooperative with the Government when questioned about the Hutaree.
Adrian, Michigan
As of the 2010 census Adrian had a population of 21,133. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 84.1% white, 4.4% black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 5.9% from some other race and 4.0% from two or more races...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The group was formed in early 2008. The name "Hutaree" appears to be a neologism; the group's web site says that it means "Christian warriors".
The group was allegedly preparing for what they believed would be an apocalyptic battle with the forces of the Antichrist
Antichrist
The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
, whom they believed would be supported and defended by local
Municipal police
.Municipal police are law enforcement agencies that are under the control of local government, including the municipal government, where it is the smallest administrative subdivision. They receive pay from the city budget, and usually have fewer rights than the "state paid" police...
, state
State police (United States)
In the United States, state police are a police body unique to each U.S. state, having statewide authority to conduct law enforcement activities and criminal investigations...
and federal police departments. On their website, all police and military members who would support the current U.S. system of local, state or federal government were described as members of the "brotherhood", and were considered by the Hutaree to be "enemies".
From March 28 to March 30, 2010, nine people thought to be Hutaree members were arrested in police raids in Michigan, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, and Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
(in Hammond
Hammond, Indiana
Hammond is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 80,830 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hammond is located at ....
), for their alleged involvement in a plot to kill various police officers and possibly civilians using illegal explosives and/or firearms. An undercover agent played a role in the investigation that led indictments. Grand jury testimony by a law enforcement officer referred to an "undercover FBI agent" who worked on the case, the FBI declined to comment, but infiltration is a common tactic for law-enforcement officials targeting domestic militia groups.
On May 3, 2010 a federal judge ordered that all nine members be freed on bond until their trial, saying that prosecutors were not able to demonstrate that the defendants would pose a danger if released.
Beliefs
The Hutaree claim that an apocalypseApocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
is near but has not yet begun and will occur in the future. An article on the Hutaree website suggested that Javier Solana
Javier Solana
Francisco Javier Solana de Madariaga, KOGF is a Spanish physicist and Socialist politician. After serving in the Spanish government under Felipe González and Secretary General of NATO , he was appointed the European Union's High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Secretary...
, former Secretary General
Secretary General of NATO
The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is the chairman of the North Atlantic Council, the supreme decision-making organisation of the defence alliance. The Secretary-General also serves as the leader of the organisation's staff and as its chief spokesman...
of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and of the Western European Union
Western European Union
The Western European Union was an international organisation tasked with implementing the Modified Treaty of Brussels , an amended version of the original 1948 Treaty of Brussels...
, may be the Antichrist.
According to some sources the group is described as practicing survivalism
Survivalism
Survivalism is a movement of individuals or groups who are actively preparing for future possible disruptions in local, regional, national, or international social or political order...
. Most of the members were active voters with unidentified political party affiliation.
Many videos posted on the Hutaree's website support several right-wing organizations, politicians, and news commentators. A former fiancee of Hutaree leader David Stone, has claimed that he was a "Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
fanatic".
Several of their site videos include coverage of congressman Paul. Some of their videos claimed that the aims of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
were hostile to American values and philosophy, and also included unsupported assertions that the UN leadership and the U.S. government were secretly plotting to subvert or destroy their own Charter Documents, namely the U.S. Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
and the UN's Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
.
The Hutaree insignia
Insignia
Insignia or insigne pl -nia or -nias : a symbol or token of personal power, status or office, or of an official body of government or jurisdiction...
includes a sword, crossed spears, and the letters "CCR" which stand for "Colonial Christian Republic."
Hutaree members use a unique system of paramilitary ranks
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
with titles from highest to lowest: Radok, Boramander, Zulif, Arkon, Rifleman (three grades), Lukore, and Gunner (three grades).
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
professor Mark Liberman commented: "I don't see basis in biblical or military history for Radok, Boramander, Zulif, Arkon, and Lukore. They sound kind of like Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
names (e.g. Arbok, Charmander, Zubat), but there's no precedent there, either."
One man who once contemplated joining the group, a Mr. Savino, was refused admission due to his being a Muslim. This same individual later provided information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) which appears to have assisted them in capturing the last indicted Hutaree at large, Joshua Stone.
The recent federal indictment against the Hutaree members in federal custody centered around the Hutaree's apparent plans to employ extreme
Extremism
Extremism is any ideology or political act far outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards...
violence to replace all (or most) current forms of U.S. government. What appears to have been the primary motivating factor behind their plans was the Hutaree's seemingly consuming resentment of all police and military, the current U.S. government in general, and the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
Context
According to a recent report by the Southern Poverty Law CenterSouthern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is an American nonprofit civil rights organization noted for its legal victories against white supremacist groups; legal representation for victims of hate groups; monitoring of alleged hate groups, militias and extremist organizations; and educational programs that...
(SPLC), the doctrines of such groups are often fueled by a certain "anger over the changing demographics of the country, the soaring public debt, the troubled economy and an array of initiatives by President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
that have been branded 'socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
' or even 'fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
' by the heated rhetoric of his political opponents."
Another SPLC report notes that the number of U.S. militia groups like the Hutaree have increased three-fold since 2008 (from 42 in 2008 to 127 in 2009), and the number of sympathetic groups has doubled in the same two-year period.
Criminal investigation
The United States Attorney's Office stated that the Hutaree allegedly planned "to kill an unidentified member of local law enforcement and then attack the law enforcement officers who gather in Michigan for the funeral".The press release further stated that nine had been indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit on charges of seditious conspiracy
Seditious conspiracy
Seditious conspiracy is a crime under US law.As may be seen from the text above, a crime need only be planned: it need not even be attempted; on 1995 October 1, Omar Abdel-Rahman and nine others were convicted of seditious conspiracy....
, attempted use of weapons of mass destruction
Weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
, teaching the use of explosive materials, and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. The indictment said that the Hutaree planned to attack law enforcement vehicles during the funeral procession for the officer(s) they planned to kill, using improvised explosive devices of the Explosively formed penetrator
Explosively Formed Penetrator
An explosively formed penetrator , also known as an explosively formed projectile, a self-forging warhead, or a self-forging fragment, is a special type of shaped charge designed to penetrate armour effectively at standoff distances...
variety, thus constituting the formal, Federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
statutory definition of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Some articles suggest the Hutaree had not yet determined whom in law enforcement they would kill, and even that they wished to kill a law enforcement officer in order to begin a war with law enforcement, while not having any specific target.
The FBI was aided in its investigation by members of another militia group who had learned of the Hutaree's plans.
Members taken into custody
Nine members of the group have been arrested:- Tina Mae Stone, 44
- Joshua Matthew Stone, 21 (a.k.a. "Josh")
- David Brian Stone Sr., 44, center (a.k.a "RD", "Joe Stonewall", "Captain Hutaree")
- David Brian Stone Jr., 19 (a.k.a "Junior")
- Thomas William Piatek, 46
- Michael David Meeks, 40 (a.k.a. "Mikey" )
- Kristopher T. Sickles, 27 (a.k.a "Pale Horse")
- Joshua Clough, 28 (a.k.a. "Azzurlin", "Az", "Mouse", "Jason Z", "Charles")
- Jacob J. Ward, 33 (a.k.a. "Jake", "Nate")
On May 3, 2010, U.S. District Judge Victoria A. Roberts
Victoria A. Roberts
Victoria A. Roberts is a United States federal judge.Born in Detroit, Michigan, Roberts received her B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1973, and her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law in 1977...
ordered all nine defendants to be released on bond, over the objection of Federal prosecutors. "The order is silent as to any financial aspects of the bonds. In federal court, defendants are normally released on $10,000 unsecured bonds, meaning they do not have to put up any money." The court ruled that five of the Hutaree remain in custody. The ruling applies to David Stone, Sr., Joshua Stone, Joshua Clough, Michael Meeks and Thomas Piatek. Four other members have already been released on bond. The court ordered that they be placed on electronic monitors.
In addition to being confined to their homes, outside of time spent away from work (or while seeking employment), some additional requirements were placed on individual defendants, for example, alleged leader David Brian Stone Sr. is barred from having any contact with Michigan-based militia activist Mark Koernke
Mark Koernke
Mark Gregory Koernke , known as "Mark from Michigan," is a prominent militia activist and shortwave radio broadcaster. As an early proponent of the black helicopters, he was largely responsible for popularizing it in appearances on Tom Valentine's radio show and in public speeches which were widely...
.
The federal government in June 2010 added charges that David Stone Sr., Joshua Stone and Clough illegally possessed automatic rifles and that David Stone Sr., David Stone Jr. and Joshua Stone possessed unregistered firearms.
In February 2011, Judge Victoria A. Roberts set a new trial date of Sept. 13, 2011 after defense attorneys asked for more time to review the hundreds of pages of evidence prosecutors have provided them. Attorneys also cited the complexity of the case in asking for a delay.
The case originally was to go to trial on Feb. 28, 2011. Roberts first delayed the trial in December 2010 until April after attorneys made a similar request.
The Hutaree members’ attorneys say that what an undercover federal agent and an informant claim was being planned was only talk, and is constitutionally protected speech.
Michigan Militia and the Hutaree
Immediately following the arrest of nine Hutaree members, leaders from several Michigan militiaMichigan Militia
The Michigan Militia was an organized paramilitary organization founded by Norman Olson, a former U.S. Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer, of Alanson, Michigan, USA. The organization formed around 1994 in response to perceived encroachments by the Federal Government on the rights of citizens during...
groups condemned the Hutaree, stating that the Hutaree was not a militia and that the Michigan Militia
Michigan Militia
The Michigan Militia was an organized paramilitary organization founded by Norman Olson, a former U.S. Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer, of Alanson, Michigan, USA. The organization formed around 1994 in response to perceived encroachments by the Federal Government on the rights of citizens during...
does not support or advocate for the use of violence against the United States of America except "in the very unlikely event that the Government openly attacks its citizens".
The Hutaree contacted the Michigan Militia
Michigan Militia
The Michigan Militia was an organized paramilitary organization founded by Norman Olson, a former U.S. Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer, of Alanson, Michigan, USA. The organization formed around 1994 in response to perceived encroachments by the Federal Government on the rights of citizens during...
for assistance during the stand-off with the Federal Government, the Michigan Militia
Michigan Militia
The Michigan Militia was an organized paramilitary organization founded by Norman Olson, a former U.S. Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer, of Alanson, Michigan, USA. The organization formed around 1994 in response to perceived encroachments by the Federal Government on the rights of citizens during...
turned down the call to arms after brief discussion, allowing the Hutaree members to be taken into custody without issue. The Michigan Militia
Michigan Militia
The Michigan Militia was an organized paramilitary organization founded by Norman Olson, a former U.S. Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer, of Alanson, Michigan, USA. The organization formed around 1994 in response to perceived encroachments by the Federal Government on the rights of citizens during...
was fully cooperative with the Government when questioned about the Hutaree.
External links
- Federal Indictment Document (521K b, 12 pages)
- Hutaree Militia Case tracked by The Daily Telegram, Adrian, Michigan (Lenawee County).