Two who dug trenches at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge to pay $10,000 each in restitution

Duane Ehmer and Jake Ryan, convicted of digging trenches on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge during the 2016 armed occupation of the federal property, each have agreed to pay $10,000 in restitution. The money will go to the Burns Paiute Tribe "for cultural resource restoration, repair and monitoring activities,'' according to newly filed court documents. Ehmer of Irrigon and Ryan of Plains, Montana, each were convicted by a jury in March of depredation of government property, a felony that could bring up to six years in prison. A judge later convicted Ehmer and Ryan of trespass and tampering with vehicles and equipment, both misdemeanors. At trial, prosecutors played videos showing Ehmer and Ryan taking turns using a government excavator to dig the trenches on Jan. 27, 2016, the day after the arrest of the occupation leaders and the police shooting of occupation spokesman Robert "LaVoy" Finicum at a roadblock off the refuge. Ehmer dug one trench and then Ryan took over and dug a second one. Their defense lawyers argued that they built the trenches because they thought the FBI planned to raid the refuge. Their restitution amounts were the final ones negotiated with prosecutors. Thirteen others who either pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge or were convicted at trial have agreed to pay a total of $78,000 to the government toward the costs of the 41-day takeover and damage to the wildlife sanctuary in southeastern Oregon...more