The Cleveland 4 were four Occupy Cleveland activists,
Brandon, Connor, Doug and Joshua "Skelly." They
were arrested on April 30th, 2012. They were accused of plotting a
series of bombings, including that of an area bridge. However, the
real story is that the FBI, working with an informant, created the
scheme, produced the explosives, and coerced these four into participating.
Connor, Doug, and Brandon took non cooperating plea
deals and pled guilty to all charges. The judge applied a
"terrorist enhancement" charge to each of them, elongating
their sentences as well as subjecting them to harsher prison
conditions. Doug is serving 11.5 years, Brandon 9 years 9 months, and
Connor 8 years 1 month.
Skelly took his case to trial. He went pro se and
acted as his own lawyer. The FBI offered him a non cooperating plea
deal with a 3 year sentence, if he would have plead guilty. Josh
refused to plead guilty to something he wasn't guilty of doing. He was
found guilty on all counts by his jury and sentenced to 10 years. Even
though Skelly had the most minimal role, he got the second longest
sentence because he took his case to trial.
Doug, Brandon and Connor plead without an agreement
while facing the threat of life in prison. On appeal of there
sentencing they were primarily fighting against the life long
probation that was handed down at sentencing. Doug also fought against
being branded the leader. After months of waiting for a verdict on the
appeals, we got word back. The appeal have been denied.
Due to the delay in taking his case to trial pro se,
Josh's initial direct appeal is yet to be heard.
They all continue to fight against the government's attempt to
brand them as terrorists and to expose the techniques of
entrapment employed by the FBI and their informants.
You can find out more here
All donations will be sent to the Cleveland4. They use this
money to buy calls, stamps, letters, hygeine product, food and other
neccesities. Prison is expensive. (90$ for shoes?!) We send 200$ a
month, they each get 50$.
Prisoners have to pay for food to stay healthy, for calls home,
(25 cents a minute, plus the call fee itself), They pay for laundry,
and everything else. Even with working a job, they get paid LESS than
50 cents an hour. So please, donate if you can, every penny helps.
