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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsInside the Georgia Militia Murders
Sep 20, 2013 5:45 AM EDT
What can happen when soldiers go rogue? Caitlin Dickson pieces together a sordid tale of drugs, guns, and a plot to overthrow the U.S. government that left two civilians dead.
Michael Roark had been stationed at Georgias Fort Stewart Base for four months when he replaced the Army with a new love: his girlfriend Tiffany York. Finished with boot camp, the formerly enthusiastic 19-year-olds attitude began to change. He complained that his superiors were picking on him. His father, a veteran himself, told his son, You signed up for a certain period of time, you need to stick it out. But Michael was determined to move on with his life. He pushed to get discharged so that he and 17-year-old Tiffany could move to the West coastshe wanted to be by family; he wanted to be a motorcycle mechanic. Four days after Michael was released on December 2, 2011, his body and Tiffanys were discovered by two fishermen in the woods outside Fort Stewart.
130918-dickson-army-tease
U.S. Army Sgt. Anthony Peden, 25, right, and Pvt. Isaac Aguigui, 19 are led away in handcuffs after appearing before a magistrate judge at the Long County Sheriffs Office Monday, Dec. 12, 2011 in Ludowici, Ga. (Lewis Levine/AP)
The story of the murders is tailored for a thriller, complete with drugs, guns, and a maniacal plot to overthrow the U.S. governmentbased almost entirely on a video game. The young couple, Georgia state prosecutors charged, was killed by Private Isaac Aguigui, Sergeant Anthony Peden, Private Christopher Salmon, and Private First Class Michael Burnett. The four were Michaels fellow soldiers at Fort Stewart. They were also part of an anti-government militia. In July, Aguigui, the groups ringleader, pleaded guilty charges including malice murder and criminal gang activity and was sentenced to life in prison. Just a few weeks earlier, the Army, which had been investigating Aguigui since his pregnant wifes death two years earlier, charged him with her murder as well. (He hasnt yet entered a plea in that case.)
Knowing that Isaac Aguigui will be in prison for the rest of his life is not enough for his victims grieving families. Roarks father told The Daily Beast that a colonel suggested to him that the Army had deliberately not discharged the FEAR Militia members in order to monitor them. Last month, after Aguigui was sentenced, his victims families filed a wrongful death claim against the Army, arguing that in investigating Aguiguis wifes death, the Army had become aware that Aguigui was violent, stockpiling weapons with the money he received from his wifes insurance policy, and actively recruiting soldiers to join his anti-government militia. If Aguigui had been charged with his wifes death sooner, or even discharged sooner, they claim, Michael and Tiffany might still be alive.
Michael Roark had been stationed at Georgias Fort Stewart Base for four months when he replaced the Army with a new love: his girlfriend Tiffany York. Finished with boot camp, the formerly enthusiastic 19-year-olds attitude began to change. He complained that his superiors were picking on him. His father, a veteran himself, told his son, You signed up for a certain period of time, you need to stick it out. But Michael was determined to move on with his life. He pushed to get discharged so that he and 17-year-old Tiffany could move to the West coastshe wanted to be by family; he wanted to be a motorcycle mechanic. Four days after Michael was released on December 2, 2011, his body and Tiffanys were discovered by two fishermen in the woods outside Fort Stewart.
130918-dickson-army-tease
U.S. Army Sgt. Anthony Peden, 25, right, and Pvt. Isaac Aguigui, 19 are led away in handcuffs after appearing before a magistrate judge at the Long County Sheriffs Office Monday, Dec. 12, 2011 in Ludowici, Ga. (Lewis Levine/AP)
The story of the murders is tailored for a thriller, complete with drugs, guns, and a maniacal plot to overthrow the U.S. governmentbased almost entirely on a video game. The young couple, Georgia state prosecutors charged, was killed by Private Isaac Aguigui, Sergeant Anthony Peden, Private Christopher Salmon, and Private First Class Michael Burnett. The four were Michaels fellow soldiers at Fort Stewart. They were also part of an anti-government militia. In July, Aguigui, the groups ringleader, pleaded guilty charges including malice murder and criminal gang activity and was sentenced to life in prison. Just a few weeks earlier, the Army, which had been investigating Aguigui since his pregnant wifes death two years earlier, charged him with her murder as well. (He hasnt yet entered a plea in that case.)
Knowing that Isaac Aguigui will be in prison for the rest of his life is not enough for his victims grieving families. Roarks father told The Daily Beast that a colonel suggested to him that the Army had deliberately not discharged the FEAR Militia members in order to monitor them. Last month, after Aguigui was sentenced, his victims families filed a wrongful death claim against the Army, arguing that in investigating Aguiguis wifes death, the Army had become aware that Aguigui was violent, stockpiling weapons with the money he received from his wifes insurance policy, and actively recruiting soldiers to join his anti-government militia. If Aguigui had been charged with his wifes death sooner, or even discharged sooner, they claim, Michael and Tiffany might still be alive.
read more at: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/20/inside-the-georgia-militia-murders.html
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Inside the Georgia Militia Murders (Original Post)
Cryptoad
Sep 2013
OP
Leader of Army Plot to Assassinate Obama Apparently Attended the 2008 Republican Convention as Page
muriel_volestrangler
Sep 2013
#1
muriel_volestrangler
(101,347 posts)1. Leader of Army Plot to Assassinate Obama Apparently Attended the 2008 Republican Convention as Page
Isaac Aguigui, the Army private and alleged ringleader of a plot to assassinate Barack Obama and "take over" Ft. Stewart in Georgia, apparently served as a page at the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minnesota. That's his mug shot after he was arrested for the alleged murder of Pvt. Michael Roark on the left. At right is a 2008 Reuters photo with the caption: "Republican National Convention page Isaac Aguigui watches from the edge of the floor at the start of the first session of the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota September 1, 2008."
http://gawker.com/5938288/leader-of-army-plot-to-assassinate-obama-apparently-attended-the-2008-republican-convention-as-a-page
Cryptoad
(8,254 posts)2. There is nothing
,,,,absolutely nothing,,,, that the GOP would not do to remove the Black Man from the White House!