ALERT: FBI Seeks Informants in Twin Cities

[Guest guest]

Following is a statement from a person known to EWOK! (Earth

Warriors are OK!, formerly the Twin Cities Eco-Prisoner Support

Committee). This person was approached by the local JTTF and offered

the possibility of being a paid informant. The individual has

rejected the offer and now has an NLG lawyer. His statement should

both inspire us for his refusal to cooperate, and remind us that he

is probably not the only person solicited by the government in such

a way and, unfortunately, we have to assume that some people will

cooperate.

 

" As I was biking back from court, my phone rang. I let it go to

answering machine and checked it when I was off my bike. It was the

police officer who I talked to about my graffiti. It said something

like, " This isn't graffiti related but I need your help with

something. You're not in trouble, give me a call. " I give him a

call. Something like this:

 

" I'd like to meet with you today. It's not about graffiti. " " I'm not

going to rat anyone out, what do you want. " Don't really know why I

said that. I was nervous, I suppose. " Twenty minutes of your time.

Where do you want to meet? " " I don't know, Eric, where do you want

to meet? And can you tell me what this is about? " " I'll explain it

when we meet. How about Expresso Expose? " " Sure. " " When's good? "

" How about 12:30. "

 

So now I'm antsy and confused. I get there fifteen minutes early and

then he comes a bit late. He says, " This is my partner, " and he

referred to the woman next to him. They both got coffee, leaving me

in my shaky, dumbfounded mental state even longer. Then we sat down

and she flashes an FBI badge. Seeing my nerves they reassured me

again that I was safe and not guilty of anything. Then for twenty

minutes they flatter me about how my personality and appearance are

perfect matches for what is required in some espionage dealio. They

wanted me to crash vegan potluck parties and get into the inner

circle of terrorists because supposedly terrorists are trusting and

I'm " trustable, easy going, funny, " and a bunch of other flattery.

Every time they said " vegan potluck " I chuckled, but their faces

showed they weren't kidding. They said " vegan potluck " half a dozen

times. They really feared vegans and their violent conspiracies to

blow up buildings in protest to the republican national convention.

 

So after twenty minutes of bewildering suckups, they ask me if I'm

in. They say there's compensation if I assist in someone's arrest. I

say " ummmmmmm I'll pass. " She says, " That was the fastest anyone has

ever rejected me, " and then tried for ten more minutes to get me to

change my mind before saying, " Really: think about it. We could

really use you. " Then she gave me a business card. On the back she

wrote me her cell phone number. I said " you have very legible

handwriting, " and they both had themselves a hearty laugh. " Call if

you change your mind. Don't tell any of your friends about this and

don't show anyone this card. " We said our goodbyes and I haven't

heard from either of them since. "

 

Here’s the info from the business cards:

 

University of Minnesota Police

Twin Cities Campus

Erik Swanson

Police Sergeant, Investigations

Joint Terrorism Task Force

UMPD

511 Washington Ave. S.E.

Minneapolis, MN 55455

Internet: www.umn.edu/ police

E-mail: swans078 (AT) umn (DOT) edu

Office : 612-624-9560

Cell : 612-290-4688

Fax : 612-626-0534

 

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Maureen E. Mazzola

Special Agent

111 Washington Ave. South

Suite 1100

Minneapolis, MN 55401

Telephone: 612-376-3200

Fax: 612-376-3444

Cell: 612-490-7447 (very legibly on the back)

 

IF YOU ARE APPROACHED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT, you do not have to talk to

them. If you are in the Twin Cities area and you need jail/legal

support, call the Cold Snap Hotline, (651) 356-8635. If you are

arrested or subpoenaed for offenses related to environmental or

animal activism, call the National Lawyers' Guild Hotline,

888-NLG-ECOL. To contact EWOK! for assistance or information, email

fightthegreenscare@ riseup.net.

 

 

 

--

___________________________

'Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The

troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see

things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no

respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them,

glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore

them because they change things. They push the human race forward.

And while some may see them as crazy, we see genius. Because the

people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are

the ones who do.' Jack Kerouac

 

Don't Hate the Media, Be the Media..... http://www.ntimc.org

 

Indymedia is a collective of independent media organizations for the

creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of truth.

 

Following is a statement from a person known to EWOK! (Earth Warriors are OK!, formerly the Twin Cities Eco-Prisoner Support Committee). This person was approached by the local JTTF and offered the possibility of being a paid informant. The individual has rejected the offer and now has an NLG lawyer. His statement should both inspire us for his refusal to cooperate, and remind us that he is probably not the only person solicited by the government in such a way and, unfortunately, we have to assume that some people will cooperate. "As I was biking back from court, my phone rang. I let it go to answering machine and checked it when I was off my bike. It was the police officer who I talked to about

my graffiti. It said something like, "This isn't graffiti related but I need your help with something. You're not in trouble, give me a call." I give him a call. Something like this: "I'd like to meet with you today. It's not about graffiti.I'm not going to rat anyone out, what do you want." Don't really know why I said that. I was nervous, I suppose. "Twenty minutes of your time. Where do you want to meet?I don't know, Eric, where do you want to meet? And can you tell me what this is about?I'll explain it when we meet. How about Expresso Expose?Sure.When's good?How about 12:30." So now I'm antsy and confused. I get there fifteen minutes early and then he comes a bit late. He says, "This is my partner," and he referred to the woman next to him. They both got coffee, leaving me in my shaky, dumbfounded mental state even longer. Then we sat down and she flashes an FBI badge. Seeing my

nerves they reassured me again that I was safe and not guilty of anything. Then for twenty minutes they flatter me about how my personality and appearance are perfect matches for what is required in some espionage dealio. They wanted me to crash vegan potluck parties and get into the inner circle of terrorists because supposedly terrorists are trusting and I'm "trustable, easy going, funny," and a bunch of other flattery. Every time they said "vegan potluck" I chuckled, but their faces showed they weren't kidding. They said "vegan potluck" half a dozen times. They really feared vegans and their violent conspiracies to blow up buildings in protest to the republican national convention. So after twenty minutes of bewildering suckups, they ask me if I'm in. They say there's compensation if I assist in someone's arrest. I say "ummmmmmm I'll pass." She says, "That was the fastest anyone has ever rejected me," and then

tried for ten more minutes to get me to change my mind before saying, "Really: think about it. We could really use you." Then she gave me a business card. On the back she wrote me her cell phone number. I said "you have very legible handwriting, " and they both had themselves a hearty laugh. "Call if you change your mind. Don't tell any of your friends about this and don't show anyone this card." We said our goodbyes and I haven't heard from either of them since." Here’s the info from the business cards: University of Minnesota Police Twin Cities Campus Erik Swanson Police Sergeant, Investigations Joint Terrorism Task Force UMPD 511 Washington Ave. S.E. Minneapolis, MN 55455 Internet: www.umn.edu/ police E-mail: swans078 (AT) umn (DOT) edu Office : 612-624-9560 Cell : 612-290-4688

Fax : 612-626-0534 Federal Bureau of Investigation Maureen E. Mazzola Special Agent 111 Washington Ave. South Suite 1100 Minneapolis, MN 55401 Telephone: 612-376-3200 Fax: 612-376-3444 Cell: 612-490-7447 (very legibly on the back) IF YOU ARE APPROACHED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT, you do not have to talk to them. If you are in the Twin Cities area and you need jail/legal support, call the Cold Snap Hotline, (651) 356-8635. If you are arrested or subpoenaed for offenses related to environmental or animal activism, call the National Lawyers' Guild Hotline, 888-NLG-ECOL. To contact EWOK! for assistance or information, email fightthegreenscare@ riseup.net.