Burns Chronicles No 60 – Duane Ehmer is Going to Prison

Burns Chronicles No 60

Duane Ehmer is Going to Prison

Hellboy will be Without His Companion

Gary Hunt
Outpost of Freedom
November 20, 2017

Duane Ehmer was convicted of a felony, willfully damaging the refuge, or depredation of government property, by using a refuge excavator to dig two deep trenches, and misdemeanor trespassing; tampering with government vehicles and equipment; and destruction and removal of government property during the 41-day armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. For these, he was sentenced to serve one year and one day in prison and to pay restitution in the amount of $10,000. The restitution is based upon a claim that a burial ground was disturbed, though no evidence of a burial or an artifacts have been presented. So, just words by someone who wasn’t there is sufficient to steal Duane’s hard earned money, when he gets out of prison.

During his sentencing hearing, he read a prepared statement:

“I am a proud American veteran and father. I am active in my community and a small business owner. After ten years of good service I left the Army I was too broken for military service any longer, I had to start over with a hearing loss and PTSD and other issues

“I tried to isolate myself from the world just focusing on what was important in life and starting over. I taught myself to weld and started a welding business. I built my business for about ten years before the Refuge.

“When I went to the refuge I went because I heard on the radio that terrorist had taken over the Burns wildlife refuge.

“This wasn’t the case. I went there expecting to stop terrorists in my backyard. This is why I went to the Refuge. I had no background information about the Bundy’s or the Hammond’s before I got there. I had never heard of anything to do with the militias or anything else.

“Once I arrived at the Refuge, I quickly learned that what was happening on the ground didn’t match what was being told to anyone. The Hammond family came the first morning I was there, and I learned their story first hand. So, I tried to talk to the locals about what was going on. I knew old cowboys never begged for help. But they begged us to stay. I also knew it was going to get real ugly and dangerous. After being there three or four days, I returned home.

“I love my daughter very much and valued her freedom. I prayed about what to do, and I felt God telling me to return to the Refuge with my horse and flag. So, I did. I knew it was a symbolic fight and there was no way to match the government’s firepower. But I would do what I could to get the truth out. I was going over everything in my head from my military experience to meeting the Hammonds, and it broke my heart to see old cowboys beg for help.

.

“The memories of the early days of my service to this nation kept running through my mind. I found myself in a terrible situation; a deadly situation where loss of life on both sides of the fence would have been extremely high.

“We were in fear of our life at the Refuge. We weren’t allowed to talk about the military buildup or the team of snipers on the ground during our trial. Yet law enforcement never came to the Refuge, never tried to contact me or anyone that I was with. I was never told to leave the Refuge. The FBI never called me, and I know they could have as my phone number was on my truck and hat.

“As the fear escalated and after my friend, LaVoy, was murdered, a lot of the people at the Refuge were frantic and panicked and fled. Fear had sunk into their actions. I knew in my heart we faced certain death from an overwhelming force. So, I used the track hoe and dug a hole to jump into when the FBI started shooting.

“This offered a small sense of protection to the others. I believed in all honesty we all would be killed. We all talked about what to do. We were told that we all would be shot if we approached the check-point.

“I volunteered to go to the check point and find out. I went with my horse and horse trailer When I got there, I was stripped and searched just like I was in a war zone. And then the FBI asked me if I was willing to help the situation. They asked me to put my life on the line and go back to the Refuge and try and get my friends out alive. So, I went back in. I told the guys that were still there that they could pass through the check-point, if they didn’t have a warrant on them, and go home. They also told me I would be free to go home. When I did go back to the checkpoint, I was stripped again and then arrested, without a warrant. I was promised freedom. But even after I helped them, they had lied to me.

It comes as no surprise that the government said he could go free if he went back to talk to the others. However, when he did as asked, and then returned to the checkpoint, he was arrested.

It is unfortunate that we have allowed the government to continue to operate without honor or integrity; when they can imprison you for lying, though from Congress to the lowly employees of the FBI, they can lie to us with impunity.

However, Duane, a kind spirited man, has decided that if he has to leave his beloved horse, Hellboy, he will do so in a style appropriate to his character.  Yesterday, November 18, 2017, he posted the following on Facebook:

“This is a big announcement I came home after the sentencing and asked Hellboy if he was up to one last ride, so he gave me the nod, like horses do. I will be riding across the state carrying the flag to turn myself in at the federal prison in Sheridan. One last ride!

17 Comments

  1. Dean Harris says:

    The government or those who use the government to destroy lives are pushing agenda 21 because they are owned by the globalists, the lands belong to the “WE THE PEOPLE” not agencies that not-Constitutional! GOD gave the lands to the people, not the government just like HE created marriage! the lands are taken over because the globalist banksters want to own us and they own the government now! The only reason they put these people in jail they want to get the land, is it most likely that this land has uranium deposits? I know it has a lot to do with agenda 21 just like the removal of dams the same reason more government control and to get people out of rural areas! LOOK AT THE 1992 bio-diversity map gives you a clear picture of what the commie one world order agencies want to do!

  2. Sharon Holmes says:

    Hellboy will be waiting for his return, just like his family. Proud for what he did.

  3. Vicky Davis says:

    OMG… I’m just sick. I talked to Duane for about 20 minutes one day at the refuge. My impression was that like all the others, he was a good man trying to do the right thing – the hard thing which is to challenge our corrupt and out of control government. Whatever he did with the equipment, nothing was permanently damaged despite the lies and stupidity of the Indian claim of a burial ground there. Ridiculous.

  4. ron vrooman says:

    I read this and wonder> The refuge has no federal owner. We in PAG proved that over a year maybe two ago. It cannot be federal land as Oregon never passed and enacted a bill agreeing for the feds to buy land. What they print of the website is a lie. No record in any of three counties recorders.
    Just like the federal court building downtown Portland id a fraud. it is built on Oregon not federal land.

    • ghunt says:

      Nothing says that they can’t own land. The really issue, in both cases (In Portland, only the original courthouse had jurisdiction ceded), the government never went through the required process of obtaining jurisdiction form the state and recording that, as to the federal statute requiring such.
      This is explained in more detail at

  5. Kathleen Brady says:

    Gary, I love that pic of Duane, great article, Thank you!

  6. Rob says:

    Wish I could ride with him!

  7. George Ehmer says:

    I know that some one else wrote this
    Most of these statements are not his own
    This is typical of the Duane only caring about himself with no thought about his daughter and how this will affect her for the rest of her like he has gotten away with things most of his life from previous felony conviction to taking some one else’s horses

    • ghunt says:

      Those words were Duane’s words. I did some minor edits, with his approval.
      240 years ago, men would forsake their families for a high principle –one that, in the end, made it a better country for their families as well as other families.
      Some recognize that the decayed state of our nation require the same commitments now, as were made then.
      In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.
      Mark Twain’s Notebook, 1904

      • george ehmer says:

        since you have decided that duane is above the law ,and what he says is the truth,sorry that you have decided to make him out to be something he is not.
        typical of leaving some one else to clean up after him,and he decided to take on this with out reguard for the welfare of his daugher,even when he was down there he left it to some else to support Becky, and when the lady he was living with got tired of supporting him since he did not have any income for many months.he threw her out with out reguard for her safety and Becky’s mental well being since they had a very strong relationship.so your support being well being has just enabled him to continue on his path of self indulgence.maybe it might be better if you knew the whole story not just his half truths and the bs about ptsd he was never in combat he always chose the easy way out .

        • ghunt says:

          I haven’t decide that Duane was above the law. I question why digging a hole will cost him a year and a day of his life, 3 years supervised release, and $10,000. Especially considering that no evidence of any Indian artifacts, to prove the reasoning for the sentence, were produced.
          I suppose I am old school, as I have always believed that evidence of a crime was necessary for conviction. Read the charges and wonder if they have anything to do with anything that is really criminal, or simply a violation of government rules.
          I have seen the aftermath of a search be the government. They throw things around, never replacing anything. Thy damage property, but they are ABOVE THE LAW. That is what they were in Germany, but not here — until recently.
          I want better for my children and grandchildren. You should want the same, instead, you criticize the child that you raised for him being what you made him.
          You should be ashamed of yourself and proud of your son.

        • Becky says:

          Grandpa, this is Becky. I love my father and he loves me. I understand that you are concerned for my well being. In my eyes, he has done what was right. He risked his own life for others at that time. You know, at one time I trusted Suellan as he did. I trusted her until she threatened to drop me off at DHS at 3 am. I love you and trust that you will understand how I feel.

      • Duane says:

        I love my father very much.As a hardend man he is IAM sure he just cares about his granddaughter and her future I miss the times when we used to hunt and fish together .He’s right I am Abit selfish .and I did have a horrible drinking problem that caused me much pain and grief.I have never measured up for his expectations no matter what I have done I have twenty plus years being sober and I strive to live abetter life than I did in my past.my hope is someday he might forgive me for not being perfect But I am the man God made me to be.I made a stand ruined my life as I knew it but it was for pure intentions.

    • Cindy says:

      Really George I was with him when he wrote it. Your so rude and this is about his daughters rights and not wanting them taken. I am his gf and he is an amazing man. No one ever taught you to not say anything if you couldn’t say nothing nice. But this is probably why your not in his life and whether you know it or not Becky is proud of her dad and she is very well taken care of. No one needs your negativity. You obviously you have no clue who he is and you probably don’t even care. But that’s ok because he is a hero. I didn’t see you standing up for what’s right. Thank you Gary for the article. He loves his loves his daughter very much….

    • Wow…
      My prayers are with you, Duane. And, Becky!

  8. Harriett D Harding says:

    I knew years ago that government to big for our good. We as citizens of this nation must stand up and shout as a people and say, stay out of our every day life. We know what we want and you are not it.
    The Afracen Americans are truly seeing the light. I’m not talking about those dependent on the government. Their are a lot of them out their, they want more then dying by their one kind.Goverment promotes there problems. Obama liked kendling that fire.
    Unless we as a nation stand up and say STOP treating us like we are stupid, and know we understand what you are doing. We don’t want you to take care of us as individuals we can do that. Just keep us safe from other nations, and let us live by the rules of the constitution. Quit messing with the constitution and allow us to do our job.
    God gave us the bible, he sent his Son down here as an example of how we should, but he left us to govern our self. That’s what I and I know there are others that want it too.

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