Press Release
Contact:
HAGEN W. FRANK
ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY
PHONE: (616) 456-2404
GUILTY PLEA ENTERED IN 2001 ECO-TERRORISM ATTEMPT AT MICHIGAN
TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
WEDNESDAY, October 15, 2008 -
MARQUETTE, Michigan – Ian Jacob Wallace, 27, of East Setauket, New York, pled guilty
today to the November 5, 2001, attempted fire-bombing of U.S. Forest Service property located on the
campus of Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan. Wallace, a resident of
Minnesota at the time of the offense, entered the plea as part of a plea-agreement with the United
States that called for his cooperation in ongoing investigations of similar acts committed on behalf of
the “Earth Liberation Front (ELF).” In exchange for his guilty plea and for his assistance in investigating other similar acts, Wallace was charged with attempted destruction of U.S. Government
property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1361, instead of more serious Federal arson charges. The plea
agreement also provides that he will not be federally prosecuted for similar acts in Wisconsin and
Minnesota.
“This investigation demonstrates our commitment to aggressively pursuing those – like Mr. Wallace – who would use violence as a form of political expression, no matter how long it takes,” said U.S. Attorney Charles R. Gross. “A civilized society must tolerate a diversity of thought, but it can never accept the destruction of property or endangering innocent people by adherents to a cause,” added U.S. Attorney Gross.
Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division, stated, “Protecting the United States against terrorist attacks, domestic and international, is the top priority of the FBI.”
Rich Glodowski, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Forest Service's Eastern Region, added, “Our highest priority is the safety and protection of Forest Service employees and facilities. Prosecutions such as this one bring to justice those members of the Earth Liberation Front who have targeted U.S. Forest Service facilities over the last several years. The investigative team along with the U.S. Attorneys Office should be commended for bringing this case to closure. The threat from these types of criminal activities to science and research is something that we take very seriously.”
Speaking for the University, Michigan Tech President Glenn D. Mroz and Public Safety Director Jon Ahola stated together that “We're very grateful to the FBI, the ATF and the Michigan State Police for their assistance and their superior investigative efforts. It was a very productive partnership, and the entire University community is relieved that a suspect was identified and brought to justice.”
A date for sentencing has not been set, but Wallace will face up to 10 years in Federal prison when he appears before U.S. District Judge R. Allan Edgar in Marquette.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Forest Service, the Michigan State Police, Michigan Technological University Department of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). It is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagen W. Frank.
END
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