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Brown supporter Jason Gerhard sentenced to 20 years in federal prison
By JJ MacNab | August 1, 2008
The first two Brown supporters were sentenced yesterday in the New Hampshire Federal District Court to lengthy sentences as a result of their involvement in the nine-month armed standoff involving Ed and Elaine Brown.Â
Robert WolffeÂ
As you may recall from prior blog posts covering the first round of criminal trials in detail, Bob Wolffe pled guilty and testified against Jason Gerhard, Danny Riley, and Reno Gonzalez in exchange for a more lenient sentence. Â
After ten months of working with the federal government providing information and testimony, Wolffe tried his damnedest yesterday to undermine his own efforts. From the Concord Monitor:
During his statement to the judge, Wolffe argued that he had never been complicit in the construction of bombs, even though he had delivered some parts to the house. Though Wolffe said he was attracted to the Browns’ resistance to federal authority, he said he never wished to harm agents.
“I never felt that I was outside my constitutional rights,” he said. “I believe resistance to domestic tyranny is what the fight for freedom is all about.”
Both Huftalen and Singal seemed surprised by Wolffe’s words, which minimized his involvement in crimes he had already admitted to committing.
Huftalen responded by giving a detailed account of the information Wolffe had provided to authorities, which included descriptions of the design, construction and placement of improvised explosive devices around the property as well as the Browns’ plans to fortify their property against invasion.
Huftalen said Wolffe had described metal bars behind the doors and a plan to surround the house with rings of increasingly deadly booby traps. Huftalen also recalled Wolffe’s statement, made during his co-defendants’ trial, that Ed Brown had told him about a hit list of enemies who Brown planned to have assassinated.
Singal said he found Wolffe’s court statements troubling.
“Listening to you, I became concerned that you just don’t get it,” Singal said, before outlining the possibility of violence and death posed by the Brown standoff.
What a fool. He was 99% finished with his ordeal. The only thing left to was apologize for his actions and shut the heck up. Instead, however, he blasted the judge with attitude and made statements that almost cost him his relatively light 30 month prison sentence. Lucky for Wolffe, the judge was in a good mood.
Jason Gerhard
For those of us monitoring the Ed Brown nightmare as it was happening last year, young Mr. Gerhard was something of an enigma in the early months of the standoff. Unlike Danny the Dogwalker and Reno “I provide security for the Browns” Gonzalez both of whom were cluttering Youtube and MySpace with evidence of their crimes, Jason was a quiet one.  If he hadn’t worn the same blue t-shirt in several of the photos and videos, I wouldn’t have noticed him at all.
Gradually, an interesting trend started to emerge. Jason liked to blow stuff up.
On July 5, 2007, Brown supporter Lauren Canario described what was done with the fireworks that didn’t go off at the party the night before at the Brown house:
While Jose’s fireworks were flawless, Ed and Jason decided that squirting lighter fluid on the duds was a good idea.
That was somewhat thrilling.
On August 3, 2007, a Brown visitor posted this description of events at the house:
We sat out on the porch for a few hours. Once we got up to test out a homemade M-80. It was successful. Then Jason tried a bomb that he made from chlorine and alcohol. It seemed like a failure until we’d all given up and it exploded and shot chlorine everywhere.
Jason’s presence at the Browns got quite a bit more noticeable when he crashed the Brown car into another vehicle and left the scene on foot before he (and his fellow Brown supporter passengers) could be questioned.
Jason was arrested while attending basic training at the US Army School of Engineers (the military guys who are into bombs.) His mother’s house was searched and the marshals found a pipe bomb in his bedroom.Â
The combination of Jason’s rather virulent anti-US government paranoia and rhetoric posted on his MySpace page earned him a nickname last fall: the next Timothy McVeigh.  Â
At the sentencing hearing yesterday, the government brought prison snitch Anthony Dorothy back to the stand.   This was the prisoner who had testified that Danny Riley was involved in hanging Tannerite explosives in the trees. Apparently, Danny and the prison snitch also talked about Timothy, who the snitch had met in prison several years ago. Danny suggested that the snitch talk to Jason, since Jason was a big fan of McVeigh’s work.Â
Ironically, Jason was not found guilty on the explosives charge. There was no physical evidence linking him to the dozens of bombs and explosive devices found at the Brown home. At sentencing, Jason’s lawyers asked the judge for a seven year sentence on the grounds that he was young and stupid. The government argued for 30 years, based on the idea that he was the next Timothy McVeigh. When it was Jason’s time to make a statement, he lashed out with a bogglingly arrogant and ignorant tirade, claiming the judge only had half a brain and that he, the defendant, had done nothing wrong. From the Concord Monitor:
 Jason Gerhard, 22, of Brookhaven, N.Y., was sentenced to nearly 10 years more than the federal sentencing guidelines recommended, after he told the judge that he felt “disgust” for the court’s process and did not believe he had done anything wrong.
“This is a kangaroo court,” Gerhard said, when he was offered an opportunity to speak on his own behalf. “How could anyone with half a brain think of imprisoning me for exercising my constitutional rights?”
What’s next?
Danny the Dogwalker is currently undergoing a psychiatric evaluation, and his sentencing will be scheduled once that is complete.Â
Cirino Gonzalez’ sentencing is currently scheduled for September, although there are some rumors spread by Reno himself that new charges may be brought against him.
There have been no announcements of additional supporter trials, although I counted some guns in the ATF video that weren’t among those brought by Reno, Jason, and Danny, and the government all but promised additional charges during the criminal trial for the first four supporters.
And finally, there’s Ed and Elaine themselves. We’re likely to see some heavy duty felony counts when their indictment comes around, but I suppose the government isn’t in any rush since they know where the Browns will be for the next five years or so.Â
Topics: Ed Brown, Elaine Brown, Jason Gerhard, Robert Wolffe | 11 Comments »
August 2nd, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Twenty years is a long time. Part of me can’t help but feel bad for him, his life is over. Then I realize that the only reason I can feel bad is because the US Marshals managed to end this peaceably. If men and women of our law enforcement were killed or maimed from the things this kid did I would have no remorse. The intent was there. I just worry that the time in jail will only harden his resolve and when he finally gets out he will seek to actually blow something up….
August 2nd, 2008 at 6:16 pm
A point of clarification, in the recounting above, it is written, “Jason was arrested while attending basic training at the Army Corps of Engineers (the military guys who are into bombs.)”
One problem, the ACE is almost entirely civilian and is generally charged with CON-struction, not DE-struction.
If Jason was in basic training, it means he had joined the US Army and was seeking to be a combat engineer in an engineering company. Those guys blow stuff up, lay out bridges, plant mines, clear mines and then blow up more stuff.
If memory serves (always a crap-shoot on the weekend) Jason had joined the US Army to learn about explosives, not the ACE,
This is the site for the ACE and there is no mention of enlisting with them.
http://www.usace.army.mil/who/
Bob Wolffe is darned lucky the judge was in a good mood. I am surprised he seemed to act against his lawyer’s instructioon. Heck, I’ve nver been in prison, but even I know the rules are speak only when spoken to and always be contrite and polite to the judge – even if you are just b.s.ing – it’s just good form. Well, when he gets home, I bet Mrs. W put a real short choker chain on him…….then she will keep him on a short leash
Jason, on the other hand, has lost his mind. 20 years, yikes. Well, I see him as the newest Nazi Lowrider recruit, although prhaps not in the manner he would prefer. His first parole hearing ought to be interesting.
August 2nd, 2008 at 6:18 pm
And if Old Buck gets around to reading this, I am sorry to hear about your son. My condolences to you and your family.
August 2nd, 2008 at 6:31 pm
My mistake on the terminology, Ckb, Jason enlisted at the US Army Engineer School so he could learn to blow stuff up. He was arrested at Fort Leonard Wood.
“His first parole hearing ought to be interesting.”
There is no parole in the federal prison system. If he behaves in prison, he’ll have to serve at least 17 of his 20 year sentence.
August 2nd, 2008 at 8:47 pm
I have already asked Bob to PROMISE me to stop talking and behave. He is lucky I have been here and able to hold onto our home and personal belongings. hmmm…choker chain.
What happened to Jim’s son?
August 2nd, 2008 at 10:14 pm
This is from the Judgement Day – The Final Chapter thread:
“OldBuck Says:
June 19th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
you just dont get it. life is but a mere 70 to 80 years if your luckey. why do you allow yourself to be enslaved. my son passed on june 4th and in his 29 years he lived life to the fullest. “
August 3rd, 2008 at 7:43 am
The following is Old Buck’s son’s obituary from Old Buck’s MySpace page.
Kevin T. Hobbs, 29, died Wednesday, June 4, 2008, at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach after a brief illness.
He was born in Winchester on Nov. 15, 1978, the son of James Hobbs Sr. and Linda Carrier, both of Billerica. Mr. Hobbs had been a longtime Billerica resident before moving to Miami Beach several years ago.
Mr. Hobbs was a graduate of Billerica Memorial High School Class of 1996 and was a waiter at Talula Restaurant in Miami Beach. He lived life to the fullest like a rock star.
In addition to his parents, he is survived by two brothers, Jim Hobbs Jr. of Lowell, and Howard Hobbs of Lexington; a sister, Cheri Lee of Billerica; three nieces; and many dear friends.
A funeral will be held at 8 a.m. Wednesday, June 11 from the Sweeney Memorial Funeral Home, 66 Concord Road, Billerica, followed by a funeral Mass celebrated at 9 a.m. in St. Theresa Church. Relatives and friends respectfully invited. Visiting hours from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 10.
August 4th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
I am very sorry to hear of the passing of Old Buck’s son. As the mother of a young man myself, I cannot imagine losing a child. My heart goes out to Buck and his family.
I also feel sympathy for the Gerhard family. I can’t imagine my son being sentenced to 20 years in prison, either.
It seems like there are a lot of brokenhearted parents in this situation, which is possibly the saddest thing of all.
August 7th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Does anyone know what Fed Pen Jason will be shipped off to?
August 11th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
All these guys did was throw away what was left of their lives by playing useful idiots for a washed up, ultra paranoid militia nut who wanted to go out with a bang.
October 7th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I understand that Jason made some bad choices but 20 years?!!! Thats’ 10 years more than required. I’v read reports of people that kill,steal and rape that get less time. It makes me sad to know that our system is so backwards.