A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office:
Animal Rights Activist Sentenced to Six Months of Home Confinement for Vandalizing a Farm and Releasing 2,000 Mink from Cages
CHICAGO — A Los Angeles man was sentenced today to six months of home confinement for vandalizing a Grundy County fur farm and releasing more than 2,000 mink from their cages.
After releasing the mink, TYLER LANG and an accomplice spray painted the barn with the words, “Liberation is Love.” The pair also poured an acidic substance over two trucks that were parked on the farm in Morris, Ill.
Lang, 27, pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiring to travel in interstate commerce with the purpose of damaging an animal enterprise.
U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve sentenced Lang to three months’ time already served in prison, six months of community confinement and six months of home confinement, followed by one year of supervised release.
“Lang was not engaging in lawful activism or peaceful protest, but instead was committing a crime,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Bethany K. Biesenthal argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.
“The use of illegal methods of activism – harassment, threats, vandalism – does nothing more than taint the image of law-abiding activists who are attempting to create change through legal protest and lawful demonstration.”
The accomplice, KEVIN JOHNSON, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty last year to the same charge as Lang. Judge St. Eve sentenced Johnson last month to three years in prison.
The vandalism and releasing of the mink occurred on Aug. 13, 2013.
The mink farmers, with assistance from law enforcement, were able to recover 1,600 of the animals.
The remaining mink died or were never found.
Zachary Fardon
The sentencing of Johnson was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The government is represented by Ms. Biesenthal and Assistant U.S. Attorney William Ridgway.
Slow news day
I remember when that happened at a mink farm out here.
Really brilliant idea to free them from care.
They got hit by cars and killed by predation.
We had them killing our chickens miles from where the peta people released them.
What a bunch of wackos
Reminds me of the story a few years back where some idiots like this released a bunch of pigs.
The problem was that the pigs trampled their saviors to death.
Why not a financial penalty too for any costs not reimbursed by insurance.
This is the big focus of our US Atty?
Geeeesh ……
Hey Old Man Winter, why don’t you become a farmer and then have your crop destroyed by a couple of vandals!
It is a crime and it should have been prosecuted.
The U.S. Attorney’s office is spot on.
Thankfully in this country we have constitutional rights to peacefully protest and voice our opinions; however, there is no room in the law to commit this sort of vandalism.
These are people that are, as ‘the mrs’ and ‘Farmer’ put it, wackos and vandals.
These mink farmers are simply hard working entrepreneurs that are working within the law.
If people have a problem with this sort of profession, they need to take their concerns with them to the ballot box.
Also, the farmers, very likely, have a civil claim against these perpetrators (trespass, trespass to chattels, conversion, etc.).
Unfortunately, people like this are usually judgment proof, meaning that they are simply lowlife thugs without any assets.
They are cowards that attack another’s property which they have worked hard for.
So, for the sake of justice these criminal charges will have to suffice.
You are completely correct “Farmer”.
Is there really a lawyer that supports the Constitution?
Long on the FBI watch list for Domestic terrorist activities is the ALF….the Animal Liberation Front who has always been linked to PETA….
this is a dangerous group…
now was it proven that Lang and Johnson were part of this group ?…