VETERANS FOR TRUMP LEADER ARRESTED FOR BUNDY-RANCH STANDOFF

Gets hero's welcome outside courtroom

Published: 1 hour ago

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Jerry DeLemus, co-chair of Veterans for Trump

The New Hampshire co-chairman for Veterans for Donald Trump was one of 14 individuals charged on Thursday in connection with the 2014 Bundy Ranch standoff in Nevada.

Marine veteran Jerry DeLemus was arrested by FBI agents and hit with nine federal charges, including conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, threatening a federal law enforcement officer, assault on a federal officer, obstruction of justice, attempting to impede or injure a federal law enforcement officer, interference with interstate commerce by extortion, and several firearms charges.

DeLemus was treated with a hero’s welcome before entering a Concord courtroom on Thursday, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported.

A 64-page indictment alleges DeLemus and eight defendants “planned, organized, led, and/or participated as gunmen in the assault, all in order to threaten, intimidate, and extort the officers into abandoning approximately 400 head of cattle that were in their lawful care and custody.”

U.S. officials faced off in the Nevada desert in April 2014 with rancher Cliven Bundy and his three sons, who were charged were illegally grazing cattle on federal land. Officials with the Bureau of Land Management planned to roundup about 1,000 cattle near Bunkerville after Bundy stopped paying fees for using public land in 1993.

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Cliven Bundy

BLM’s standoff with Bundy ended after approximately 1,000 protestors, some of them armed, traveled from California, Idaho and other states to show support. The government gave back about 300 it had already seized, but said Bundy still owes more than $1 million in grazing fees and penalties.

Bundy, his two sons, and 16 others have been indicted since BLM decided to call off its raid and continue to pursue the ranchers administratively and through the court system.

“This investigation began the day after the assault against federal law enforcement officers and continues to this day,” Daniel Bogden, U.S. Attorney for Nevada, said Thursday in a written statement.

DeLemus, 61, told Reuters Jan. 14 that he wanted to spend some time with Trump to detail “the whole story” behind the 2014 ordeal.

“I think it’ll really arouse him, and once he understands, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him heading out West,” DeLemus said after traveling to a similar standoff in Oregon, which was organized by Ammon Bundy.

A detention hearing will be held for Delemus on March 7 in U.S. District Court in Concord, the Union Leader reported.

RELATED:

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Cliven Bundy indicted in 2014 standoff

Oregon ranchers’ standoff ends after 41 days