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Day 6: An Ed Brown supporter who woke up to the real world
By JJ MacNab | March 31, 2008
When you first walk into the Federal courthouse in Concord, NH, there’s a giant, stainless steel statue of Lady Justice. While the description of the statue says that she is blindfolding herself, from the angle below as you enter the building, I would swear that she’s flossing her ears.
Judging from the lack of public access in key hearings in this case, maybe Justice is both blind and deaf. The public has been shut out of literally all motion hearings by the Judge, who holds such meetings in his chambers, and even the minutes from those meetings are not in the public record.
The Judge has also decided to extend court hours to 3 pm, which means that the poor jury is squirming in their seats for six and half hours without a lunch break.Â
The day begins when the guns are wheeled into the courtroom in a large red Rubbermaid bin. In that context, the guns looks like plastic kids’ toys.Â
Witness Chris Conway
Mr. Conway is a property manager who one day saw a mysterious box at the front door of one of the Vermont homes he manages. The home was supposed to be vacant, but when he checked it out there was a note on the door saying that packages should be left there. The package was addressed to Jason Gerhard. He called the property owner, the 800 number for the company that mailed Jason the box, and the police.
Witness Allison Rees
Ms. Rees is a fingerprint specialist for the ATF. She examined 200 pieces of evidence (pipe bombs, Tannerite containers and baggies, and so on) and found only a very small number of fingerprints on pieces of tape and on a rifle scope. Those rare prints belonged to Ed Brown. Despite this lack of results, defense attorneys managed to drag out cross examination for almost 30 minutes.
Witness Gary Mattison
Mattison is a supervisory deputy US Marshal who was in Cohoes, NY when Danny Riley was arrested in possession of a rifle that bore the handwritten autographs of Randy Weaver and Edward Lewis Brown.
Witness Roy Wright
Mr. Wright (every girl’s dream man with a name like that) is a deputy US Marshal in Long Island who searched Jason Gerhard’s home in Brookhaven, NY. In Jason’s room, they found a stickie with Bob Wolffe’s address, a handwritten shopping list, a receipt for items matching those on the shopping list, American Express bills totaling thousands of dollars over a three month period, a NH Wal-Mart receipt, and a NH liquor store receipt.Â
The handwritten shopping list contained such things as 1)Â two Serbu rifles, 2) a Serbu bipod, 3)Â two sheriff’s vests, 4) one police vest, 5) waterproofer, and so on.Â
The various receipts showed that Jason paid $2,595 to Serbu, roughly $4,000 for two night vision scopes, both of which were found at the Brown house, and $1,263 for more than a thousand rounds of ammunition. According to the invoice, the order was placed on June 7, 2007 and delivery dates were estimated to range from July to October.
One receipt showed Jason having items shipped to the vacant home in Vermont, the rest had a shipping address of his mother’s home in Brookhaven.
Witness Sean Harrington
Mr. Harrington is a patrol trooper for the New Hampshire State Police.  On July 20, 2007, he pulled Jason over for speeding and noticed a Ruger rifle and box in the back seat. Jason told Harrinrgton to relax, that he had just purchased the gun that day, it wasn’t loaded, and he was speeding because he was rushing to the Brown’s home in Plainfield to get there in time for dinner. When the trooper returned from checking Jason’s license, Jason was opening and closing a knife repeatedly which gave the trooper concern. The trooper gave Jason the ticket and called his barracks to report the incident because he found Jason’s acts suspicious.
Witness Robert Wolffe
Bob Wolffe was the fourth defendant in this case. He signed a proffer letter just a few days after the September 12, 2007 indictment and arrest, and signed a plea agreement in January, 2008. Wolffe was wearing an orange prison t-shirt, jacket, and pants, but otherwise looked tidy, composed, and very serious about his situation and testimony.
Wolffe lives in Randolph, VT and first heard of Ed Brown when the Browns were on trial in January 2007 for tax evasion and structuring financial transactions. Over the next eight months, he visited the Brown house roughly 25 to 30 times. He said that he understood that they had been convicted on multiple felony counts and that they were evading arrest.
Wolffe conducted counter-surveillance by following US Marshals when they were following Jim Hobbs (the man who posts comments on this blog), and provided armed security for the Browns by wearing weapons at their home. He also did some target shooting on Ed Brown’s range next to the home. He identified a number of weapons he’d seen others carrying at the home.
Wolffe has been charged with three felony counts in this case, and no counts were dropped as part of his plea agreement. He not only wasn’t promised any leniency by the prosecutors, but he was warned repeatedly that if he lied on the stand, he would be prosecuted for perjury.
Wolffe testified on a number of important issues:
1) He saw Reno and Ed carrying rifles while patrolling the property
2) On another occasion, he saw Ed, Jason, and Danny with rifles again patrolling the property
3) He saw Reno wearing a semi-automatic pistol in a holster and said that Reno told him that he was a security specialist in the military who was there to provide the Browns with security
4) Reno had brought a .50 caliber rifles to the Browns’ home
5) He first met Danny in late April, and Danny was involved in internet dealing with Shaun Kranish of www.makethestand.com
6) He saw Danny and Ed trying to detonate Tannerite using different caliber ammunition and later Ed showed Wolffe the Tannerite baggies in the trees
7) He saw the zip guns in Ed’s garage and Ed and Danny told him about their plan to place blanks in them and set them up as booby traps around the property to act as an early warning system
8 ) Wolffe met Jason in mid-June and said that Jason took care of things around the Brown house
9) Jason had been purchasing weapons for Ed Brown, but the local dealer had decided not to sell him any more
10) Jason told Wolffe that he was joining the military to learn more about military tactics and explosives
11) Wolffe is still a tax denier, but said that Ed and Elaine were convicted felons, so protecting them was a crime
12) Wolffe lied to Keith Champagne in various letters by not telling him about his proffer in September 2007
13) Wolffe was not a Constitution Ranger until the Brown standoff and didn’t know the Browns
14) One of the main reasons Wolffe pled guilty was to protect his wife from weapons charges
15) Wolffe acted as a mail center for various Brown supplies
16) Wolffe provided roughly 6 to 8 pieces of pipe that were later turned into zip guns
17) Wolffe had been in Ed Brown’s bedroom but not his closet (sometimes you have to wonder about the defense attorneys’ questions…)
18) He saw Lauren Canario at the home three or four times, but was unfamiliar with several other names
19) He said that Jim Hobbs lived at the Brown house for several weeks after Reno left
20) Wolffe said that Ed Brown had a “secret hit list” but Wolffe thought that that was between Ed and his God
21) Wolffe said that Ed had asked him to purchase a gun for Elaine, but that he’d refused. “I didn’t want to get involved in the standoff in that way.”
Wolffe didn’t spend that long on the stand but his information was quite forthright and direct.  Unlike the other defendants in this case, it would appear that he has a much better grasp of the reality of the situation.
It sounds like the prosecutors will rest their case tomorrow. So far, there has been significant evidence shown on all of the counts with the possible exception of the explosive device charge against Jason Gerhard.Â
Topics: Cirino Gonzalez, Daniel Riley, Ed Brown, Elaine Brown, Jason Gerhard, Robert Wolffe | 10 Comments »
March 31st, 2008 at 10:55 pm
I have questions. 1) Where did Jason get all the money to buy the rifle, scope and other things totalling over $5,000? Army sign up bonus? 2) The car Jason was driving, was it his or his parents?
Also, although the recap does not mention it, I wonder if the prosecution noted that normally scam artists and those engaged in fraudulent activities will have packages delivered to an empty house, so a cohort can then pick it up.
I can hardly wait for the next installment to see who the prosecution calls before resting. Even more interesting is who the defense will call and how the prosecution will cross-examine the defense witnesses.
And unless the defense really FUBARs the situation, the trio probably will beat any charges regarding the making of explosive devices. Everything else – probably not.
For all the Ed Brown fans out there, all this testimony is not doing Ed any good and it will probably only get worse. I am guessing, but I bet the defense will pursue a tack that essentially tosses Ed under the bus in an effort to deflect as much as possible away from their clients. Also, after this trial is over, if guilty verdicts are returned, look for the million-pound dead-blow hammer to drop on Ed.
March 31st, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Darn it, I thought of another question that just nags at me. Jason was arrested while in Basic Training for the U.S. Army. Anyone have knowledge on how the Army treats that? Since he did not complete Basic, I am guessing the Army would treat it as some sort of general discharge for reasons other than.
With Jason’s luck, he went into the Army to learn more about tactics and explosives, but would have ended up as some sort of REMF.
April 1st, 2008 at 2:32 am
Back in my day (early to late 80′s) if you were taken from Basic Training under arrest, you would recieve some sort of leave of absence pending trial, upon conviction of a felony count, you were dishonerably discharged. Don’t know if it’s the same nowdays.
April 1st, 2008 at 6:57 am
“And unless the defense really FUBARs the situation, the trio probably will beat any charges regarding the making of explosive devices. Everything else – probably not.”
I’m fairly confident that the jury will nail Danny on the explosives charge, and Reno and Wolffe were never indicted for explosives. Only Jason may have an out on that charge at this point.
April 1st, 2008 at 10:28 am
Is there any word on what Jason’s relationship was to the vacant house? Why did he pick that particular house?
April 1st, 2008 at 11:42 am
See number 1 comment above. It is a tried and true technique that scammers use when ordering goods using stolen credit card numbers. You have the illicitly purchased goods sent to a house you know is vacant, or temporarily empty, or where the people are on extended vacation. After the package is delivered, the scammer cruises by, picks up the package and no one is the wiser until the scammed person’s credit card bill comes.
How do I know this? I watch a lot of different news programs and read several different news feeds.
April 1st, 2008 at 4:50 pm
He woke up to the real world? I think not. You mean he BARELY realized that what he was doing was wrong? He BARELY realized that the Browns were convicted felons? NOOOOOO…He just BARELY was offered a good deal…(well when he entered the plea that is)
April 1st, 2008 at 7:58 pm
This is an orginal Myspace Bullitin Post By old Buck while at ed and elaine Browns. Bob Woffle plead guilty to impeding the USDM for the action Disscribe here. The Marshals can follow you and video tape you but if you follow or video them you are charged with a crime.
Fun at Ed and Elaine’s
Today I went into town to pick up some groceries. My supply was running low. Ed and Elaine being the generous people that they are have offered me anything I need but I do not want to take from their provisions so I supply all my own food coffee etc. After being here 6 weeks I had a lot to pick up.
Elaine used my computer to go on the net and reviewed the local grocery stores sales brochures. So I left here with a list (She says I should only shop with a list, that way I don’t get sucked into overspending) but she had me going to 3 different grocery stores with all the sales prices written down and what store I should buy this or that in. I left with my head spinning but promised I would be thrifty and follow her directions.
The town of W Lebanon is about 9 miles .So I headed into town not paying attention to my surroundings and when I get there I get in the left lane to turn into the first store, when in my mirror I see this Black SUV move quickly from the right lane into the left turning lane. I can smell a cop and knew right away I had picked up federal protection.
I turned into the shopping center and go around back of Best Buy and into the side lot of BJ’s the store I am going to as I’m getting out of the car this SUV circle me and I wave to them and they wave back. As I headed inside I called Ed and told him I picked up a tail, Ed says confront them ask them why they are following you. So I waited and watched them park, get out and head toward the store. When they see me watching them they stopped. So I go in the store and waited in the entrance area, when I see them heading for the entrance I ducked behind some tall plants till they got close then I go out the exit door and walked around and came up behind them. They entered the store never looking back.
I stood less than 3 f behind them as hey showed ID to the man at the door. They then scurried inside as I watched them. I then went in and as I was heading toward the food section I came face to face with one of them. I then said are we having fun yet!! He just looked at me said nothing and I went looking for Soft scrub so Could clean my RV showers as I went up and down the cleaning material Isle their was the say agent with his back to me glancing over his shoulder every once in a while so finally when I couldn’t find the soft scrub I went up to him and asked him help me find it he kind of scowled and walked off. I got a women employee to help me find it and headed for the self-check out. And low and behold the Agent comes up the next isle so as I approach the check out I say if your not having fun your not doing it right, He goes I’m just doing my Job!!! And with that he goes out the door little does he know that while I was in the check out line I got a phone call from a Constitution Ranger whom is out in the parking and he’s picked up on the agents and He’s filming them.
So I come out and head for the car and the Rangers pulls up and tell me they must have called for back up because now there 2 suv’s with Agents in them, he then points them out to me.
I tell the Ranger I need to go to Wal-Mart then to Shaw’s and Price shopper. We decide I will go in Wal-Mart and go right out the garden section and he will pick me up out back and bring me to Shaw’s. So we head to Wal-Mart with both SUV’s right behind me. The Ranger goes left and I go straight across the road into Wal-Mart with both Federal vehicles following me. They park one to the left of me and one near Wal-Mart’s front door. I go in and right out the Garden section, get in the Rangers car duck down and he takes me to shaw’s. The Ranger tells me that when I come out of Shaw’s go to the right of the building and he will be there.
While I was in Shaw’s grocery store the Ranger had walked back to Wal-Mart with his Dog, gets my car and brings it to Shaw’s. Now the Agents are following him in my Car and they have no idea were I’m at.
So when I come out after finishing my shopping. I go to the right side of the building and guess what. There’s my Car and no Agents or Rangers in sight. I call the Ranger and he tells me, meet him behind Burger King and he’ll take me to my next stop. (ARE WE HAVING FUN YET FOLKS– LMFAO) While I was shopping the Ranger also did some more filming. (Hopeful he will get me picture tomorrow and I will post them)
I head for burger king and my phone start ringing I spot the rangers so I don’t answer it turns out the feds pulled into the lot beside burger king just as I was heading there anyhow I meet the Ranger He tells me where they are and to follow him and he will take me to price chopper and leave the rangers wondering what happen to us, So as we head out the Feds come out of the other parking lot and attempt to get behind but I follow the Ranger and we come up behind the feds and they never seen us so they rush down this rd and we just drive by and go to the back of Price shopper were the Ranger takes my grocery and tell me finish shopping and he’ll meet me at ed and Elaine’s.
This was more fun than I have had in years we had them agents going in circle.
These poor agents were confronted just to watch the dumbfounded look on there faces was worth millions, I imagine them thinking what do I a real American is looking at me Help he speaking to me he needs soft scrub. LOL
April 1st, 2008 at 8:52 pm
We already know your story, Old Buck. Your name came up again in today’s testimony.
April 1st, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Aw shucks, Old Buck/Jim Hobbs should be a laugh riot when he testifies for the defense. Probably be one of the first people they call on to testify for the defense.
Really looking forward to it. Should be thrilling. Should be illuminating.