A historic pastor who was arrested during anti-war protests was sentenced to federal prison for illegal entry and vandalism on restricted naval facilities in Georgia in April 2018.
A historic pastor arrested during anti-war protests was sentenced to federal prison for illegal entry and vandalism at the submarine base Kings Bay in April 2018.
Bobby L. Christine, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, said that 71-year-old Stephen Michael Kelly of Massachusetts was accused by U.S. District Judge Lisa Godby Wood ( Lisa Godbey Wood) sentenced to 33 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay 33,503.51 US dollars. Kelly and six other defendants were found guilty after a four-day jury trial in October 2019 on charges of conspiracy, destruction of property in naval installations, deprivation of government property and intrusion. After serving his sentence, he was ordered to serve three years.
“The breach of access to restricted military areas and the vandalism of security barriers are not protected by legal speech and will be prosecuted in Southern Georgia. The late-night activities of Stephen Kelly and the other defendants cannot be regarded as peaceful protests. These defendants destroyed government property , Causing taxpayers to pay a heavy price, and severely damaged important naval facilities.” US Attorney Christine said. “What’s worse is that their actions pose a huge risk of serious injury or even death to themselves and the base personnel. The court’s decision and judgment are completely appropriate.”
As the defendants admitted during the trial, they took videos of their activities to the jurors. After cutting a padlock from the gate late at night, the seven entered the outer security fence of the Naval facility in St. Marys, Georgia. The organization was arrested on April 4, 2018. Once the organization passed through the security fence, it damaged and destroyed the property in the facility and was then detained by naval security personnel.
Kelly was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for similar trespass and vandalism. When arrested in Kings Bay, Kelly was sentenced to a federal suspended sentence in September 2017 for allegedly invading Kitthap-Bongo Naval Base in Washington State. The Western District of Washington will remand him to the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Force under a probation order.
Elizabeth McAlister, 80, of New London, Connecticut, has been sentenced to 17 months and nine days in this case. Patrick M. O’Neill, 64, of Ghana, North Carolina ‘Neill) is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday. . The remaining defendants – Mark Peter Colville, 59, New Haven, Connecticut; Clare Therese Grady, 62, Ithaca, New York, Perkinsville, Virginia Martha Hennessy, 65, and Carmen Trotta, 57, of New York City, New York, will be sentenced in November.
Post time: Oct-20-2020