Daniel McGowan given 84 months

June 4, 2007 Portland Indymedia
author: sore butt e-mail: civilrightsoutreach@gmail.com

The government wanted 92 months; he got 84.

Aiken gave Daniel one level of downward departure for the positive work he has been doing for the past 5 years. He was given the terrorism enhancement for Jefferson Poplar. He also has to pay the huge restitution bill with the others. After release, he has to do the same 3 years of supervised probation that others were given, plus alcohol and drug counseling.

The full notes from the hearing should be up on this site before tomorrow.

Operation Backfire defendant gets 7 years

June 4, 2007 Register-Guard

Saying she is unsure of the sincerity of his remorse, U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken on Monday sentenced Daniel Gerard McGowan to seven years in federal prison for his role in a string of arsons by underground radical environmentalists.

McGowan, 33, cited his work in community and social justice groups since leaving the underground in 2001. However, prosecutors played tapes, secretly recorded by an informant, in which McGowan seems to revel in past illegal deeds by extremists.

The final of 10 defendants in the Operation Backfire case is scheduled for sentencing Tuesday.