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Law

Soldiers Allegedly Plotted To Blow Up Wash. Dam, Poison Apple Crop

Prosecutors in Georgia say a group of current and former U.S. soldiers plotted to blow up a dam in Washington and poison the state’s apple crop. The allegations were revealed Monday as one of the group’s members pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a Georgia courtroom.

Despite the seriousness of the allegations, spokespeople with the Washington State Patrol and the Governor’s office say they were not aware of the case

Federal authorities won’t comment on the case. But state prosecutors in Georgia say the group’s members had all served together in the Army at Fort Stewart, Georgia. The alleged ringleader, however, was from Washington.

In court, the prosecution said the alleged militia group planned to move to a compound in Washington where it planned to blow up an unnamed dam to “kill civilians and destabilize the state’s economy.”

Another part of the alleged plot involved applying poison to Washington apples.

Prosecutors say the alleged ringleader caught the attention of a joint-terrorism taskforce when he returned to Washington last year and started amassing tens-of-thousands-of-dollars worth of assault rifles, other weapons and accessories.

State prosecutors in Georgia said the domestic terrorism plot came to light after one of the group’s members and his girlfriend were murdered last December. The prosecutor alleges this was to keep them quiet about the terrorism plot.

An FBI spokeswoman in Seattle would only say her agency is aware of the reports.

Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network

Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network

Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy as well as the Washington State legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia." Prior to joining the Northwest News Network, Austin worked as a television reporter in Seattle, Portland and Boise. Austin is a graduate of Garfield High School in Seattle and Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. Austin’s reporting has been recognized with awards from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors, Public Radio News Directors Incorporated and the Society of Professional Journalists.