Not sure if you guys have heard about this yet but I heard about it on the radio today...

On the afternoon of July 1, 2003...

    Mrs. Elizabeth Wheeler's Baltimore, Maryland home was invaded by about 60 heavily armed men. These men handcuffed Mrs. Wheeler, 72, a mother of six, grandmother of seven and great-grandmother of three to her bed. The thugs held her captive for almost seven hours while they ransacked her home.
    Who are these men and what did they want with Mrs. Wheeler? It turns out the men, who used an axe to chop Mrs. Wheeler's door to pieces, were members of the Baltimore, Maryland Police Department's SWAT Team. No one knows exactly what these men were looking for because the search warrant has been sealed by the issuing judge. What we do know is that the Baltimore Police were looking for Mrs. Wheeler's 66 year old husband Lovell Arthur "Artie" Wheeler, a machinist and vocal anti-war and immigration opponent, and it should be noted a lawful gun owner.
    It is also a fact that they knew that Artie was working at the time of the raid and that Mrs. Wheeler would be alone. They counted on their intimidation tactics to frighten this senior lady into saying something that might incriminate her partner. But in this they made a serious misjudgment because the fact is that there is nothing to tell. Did Artie have gunpowder and firearms stored in the couple's home? Yes he did, but they were all legal. In the days following the arrest and seizure of the couple's assets, including the cash that Mrs. Wheeler depends upon to buy food and pay her basic bills, law enforcement was left struggling to come up with charges appropriate to the aggressiveness of their actions.
    Did Artie or Mrs. Wheeler kill someone? Hell no. Did their actions even hurt anybody? Again, hell no, but bail was set at two million dollars. No charges apart from three misdemeanors, yet bail was set higher than for most violent criminals? What is going on here? Based on the facts, one can only draw the conclusion that "they" don't like his politics.
    You might be wondering at this point, as I am, what has happened to the first amendment right of free speech, not to mention the second amendment's right to bear arms? Judging by the treatment Artie and his wife have received at the hands of police, the right to express ones opinion and own guns has gone the way of the Dodo bird-extinct. Is this case a direct result of the "Patriot Act?" It sure seems that way.
   Most in the extreme right are familiar with Artie's politics. He is not one to censor himself, when he expresses his political beliefs and point of view. But this begs the question, so what? Are our law enforcement officials so worried about the White Nationalist point of view that they will go to extreme lengths to silence those of us speaking out? Do they not realize that every time they target one of us our determination to succeed grows stronger? Are they so naïve that they don't know that they are actually helping us to build White Unity with a single-minded purpose?

Although I don't agree with their anti-war stance, there are some very troubling issues at work here:

1. What were the three misdemeanors that Mr. Wheeler was charged with that warranted a $2 million dollar bail? Violent criminals don't get bail that high!

2. Why is it that suspect (Mr. Wheeler) cannot find out what information was in the search warrant that led to his arrest and the confiscation of his assets and property? Basically, if there was any probable cause that warranted the search, noone knows what it is.

3. Why seize the couple's cash?  This is only done when there is a probability that the cash was obtained through illegal means.  If 60 SWAT members were required to execute this warrant, I would think they would have come up with more than 3 misdemeanors that allowed for a cash seizure.

4. According to the wife, all of the guns obtained were legal purchased.  Again if these were major offenses that warranted the seizure of cash and weapons, what were the charges?  Where was the ATF?

At the least, it looks like the Wheelers' 2nd, 4th, and 5th Amendment rights were violated.  With a sealed search warrant.  Noone will know why.  

From what I have read elsewhere, one of the charges was improper storage of gunpower- if you have over 5 pounds it needs to be stored specially, or in original containers, or something like that.

Was it really 60 police?  Does anyone have a link for this?

Plus, I don't think this has anything to do with the Patriot act.  This was all done under state law.

wow

They were racists.

They had illegal stuff.

They were a public threat.

Despite removing all his stuff, he is obviously still a public danger.  We can't tell you why.

It's for the children.

It's for Homeland Security.

Sit down, shut up and enjoy the ride.


They won't return the wife's ID

Quoted: Was it really 60 police?  Does anyone have a link for this?

Different thread, same case here.

Not "time to hide your guns"
Its "time to load your guns"

Quoted: Not "time to hide your guns" Its "time to load your guns"

...and the reason that they're not already loaded is???????

Quoted: Quoted: Not "time to hide your guns" Its "time to load your guns" ...and the reason that they're not already loaded is???????

I was telling him, you know I have my guns ready. Well most of them.

It is not illegal to store gun powder or black powder or smokeless powder.

It is not illegal to manufacture weapons in your basement unless they are full auto or you intend to sell them.

There is no public evidence that suggests that Wheeler participated in any illegal activities.

Don't know what's going on behind the curtains.

If the government doesn't come up with something really big, I see wheeler winning a mammoth lawsuit against the government for excessive force.

I don't agree with his biggoted beliefs or his politics, but we supposedly live in a free society where you have a first ammendment right to believe anything you want and talk about anything you want.

Overall, sounds like wheeler is being railroaded because of what he believes, what he talks about, and for owning guns.  It will be interesting to follow this one.

Quoted: It is not illegal to store gun powder or black powder or smokeless powder. It is not illegal to manufacture weapons in your basement unless they are full auto or you intend to sell them. There is no public evidence that suggests that Wheeler participated in any illegal activities. Don't know what's going on behind the curtains. If the government doesn't come up with something really big, I see wheeler winning a mammoth lawsuit against the government for excessive force. I don't agree with his biggoted beliefs or his politics, but we supposedly live in a free society where you have a first ammendment right to believe anything you want and talk about anything you want. Overall, sounds like wheeler is being railroaded because of what he believes, what he talks about, and for owning guns.  It will be interesting to follow this one.

I agree!  

I hope this guy turns to be squeaky clean (politics aside) and he inturn sues the shit out of the police department and civil suits against the officers whom roughed up his wife...there's no need to rough up an old lady...NONE!!!