Feds raid Alabama militia group

[Soldier4Christ]

Feds raid Alabama militia group
ATF says grenades, IEDs, illegal weapons seized

Federal and state agents swooped down Thursday morning on a group calling itself "The Free Militia" and uncovered a small arsenal of home-made weapons that included a rocket launcher, 130 hand grenades and 70 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) similiar to the kind used by insurgents against American GIs in Iraq.

Agents also recovered enough live ammo to fill a U-Haul trailer, U.S. Attorney Alice Martin said.

Eric Kehn, a spokesman with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, said four search warrants were executed in the operation, and six arrests were made.

Those arrested include: Raymond Kirk Dillard, a.k.a. Jeff Osborne, 46 of Collinsville, Ala.; Adam Lynn Cunningham, 41, also of Collinsville; Bonnell Hughes, a.k.a. Buster Hughes, 57, of Crossville, Ala.; Michael Wayne Bobo, 30, of Trussville, Ala.; Randall Garrett Cole, 22, of Gadsden, Ala.; and James Ray McElroy, 20, of Collinsville.

All six of the suspects belonged to "The Free Militia," officials said without releasing any information about the group.

"Deadly explosives have been removed from these communities due to outstanding investigative efforts," Martin said. "All evidence developed will be presented quickly to a federal grand jury. We will also ask that those arrested be detained without bond."

At least five bomb teams were on the scene in case explosives were found during the searches.

Officials said ATF agents encountered booby traps at one of the search sites.

The weapons cache also included a machine gun, a short barreled shot-gun, two silencers, numerous other firearms, 2500 rounds of ammunition, explosive components, and commercial fireworks. Agents also found more than 120 marijuana plants, Martin said.

One of the raids took place at a trailer and another at a house not far from Collinsville School.

School district officials cancelled classes for about 650 students from grades kindergarten through 12 because of the swarm of police vehicles.

"We were going to delay school but because of the possibility of explosives at the residences, we felt it was safer not to have school," DeKalb Sheriff Jimmy Harris said.

Sources told FOX News that the six suspects were involved in manufacturing homemade weapons and explosives, and that one of the suspects had tried to sell hand grenades to undercover federal agents. The group has also allegedly been involved in the sales and distribution of other types of explosive devices and weapons, but the nature of these has not yet been revealed.

"Today's arrest and search warrants have been significant due to the success of the combined efforts by ATF, as well as our state, local and federal partners," said James Cavanaugh, ATF Special Agent in Charge. "The communities in the area are safer, considering the fact that large quantities of live grenades and other explosive materials have been safely removed. Excellent investigative team work led us to this point in our investigation."

[Brother Jerry]

Well see us folks down here in Alabama did not want to be out done by them Georgia folks....so instead of mandating that there is a gun in every house....we figured that if the rule was a hand grenade under every pillow would work out just as well.


Now the real scary thing about this is two fold. 
1) That people can get their hands on things like this.
2) That "The Free militia" is actually a nationwide organization sort of thing. 
3) That they were just a few miles from my home.

For the most part the people that are in these militias (and just about every state has militias like these) would not do anything to harm the general populus.  They feel it is their duty to protect the State and Nation.  This is one of the reasons the founders put in the militia clauses to our Constitution.  No nation will attack the US outright because they know that we have more firearms in our homes than our entire military and police forces have combined. 

But it is scary to consider that there are people running around like this that are armed for war.

[barelahh]

The weapons cache also included a machine gun, a short barreled shot-gun, two silencers,

Not illegal to have if you have a permit!  plus making noise suppression equipment for your gun is legal to do too.  just have to follow the rules.

numerous other firearms

When did numerous become a crime.

2500 rounds of ammunition

ROTFL  and they call themselves a militia!??  I have that many rounds
behind the seat of my pickup.  shoot i don't know how many i have in the house and in the shop.  I buy my ammo by the crate.

explosive components,

Ok this is a stumper.  Define explosive components!  Gasoline is explosive component.

 

commercial fireworks.

???What? Whats illegal about that!!!

Agents also found more than 120 marijuana plants, Martin said.

Ohh now they have gone and done it.  EVERYONE knows that a GOOD militiaman has to have his weed to keep alert and paranoid!

[barelahh]

Now the real scary thing about this is two fold. 
1) That people can get their hands on things like this.

Scary?? Weren't yall in the military??
you do realize that they sell grenades at the army/navy store. their empty of explosives but the grenade is still a grenade.  just add explosive to it

But it is scary to consider that there are people running around like this that are armed for war.

threre isn't many of them.  the ones that the government has to worry about isn't those guys but those of us that are like me and many of us here that have their weapons, know how to use them, are willing to defend our country from our enemies including our own government leaders.

Not radical you know, just constitutional and what our forefathers gave us as a means to keep our freedoms.

But joining a group like that, doesn't make sense.  Terrorists have taught us one thing, the best fighting force to take on a massive government is the individual. 
Working together with other individuals they are formidable

[Soldier4Christ]

If the machine guns were fully automatic they were illegal, most states sawed off shotguns are illegal and no one can get a "permit" to have either. When speaking of "explosive components" as seen in the rest of the article most of these were homemade and illegal as is "commercial fireworks" in many states without a specific license to have them. It is also illegal to manufacture your own weapons. Some of that list that was confiscated was done so just because of the portion that was illegal.

I am not against having militias. After all it was a militia that founded this nation and freed it from tyranny. There are some militia groups that are quite peaceable and law abiding, yet there are others that are filled with Tim McVeighs that have no concern for others.

Yes, I was in the military. I would still consider it scary to have a neighbor that would have such weapons in their position.

[Brother Jerry]

Yep.  and then you couple that with the drugs found.  Would not have been long before they were out selling their grenades to others that may not have been so Nation friendly, just so they could get more money for their drug habits.....

...what was that...they were already trying to sell their grenades off...that is what tipped the ATF off?  Oh my....

[Soldier4Christ]