HUGE weapons cache in TP's storage

[Demosthenes]

Massive weapons arsenal found in storage unit

Friday, January 23, 2009
SEATTLE – A Spokane man authorities call a "clear and present danger" heads to federal court Friday morning in a weapons case that will make you think twice about what people have in storage facilities.
Agents found a massive stash of weapons in a public storage locker in Bellevue they say could have easily leveled an entire neighborhood. The military-grade arsenal included grenade launchers, machine guns and plastic explosives.
Agents are investigating how the unit's renter, Ronald L. Struve, 65, of Spokane, came to posses the weapons stash. Struve is being held on federal charges of illegally possessing automatic weapons and illegally storing them.
The arsenal was uncovered by chance after the rent went unpaid and the storage lot auctioned off the contents of the locker. When the high bidders looked inside, they called the ATF.
Agents found 37 machine guns, 2 grenade launchers, 54 high explosive grenades, 6 blocks of plastic explosives, 12 silencers, 25 feet of detonator cord, and 7 blasting caps – all adding up to what the feds call one of the largest personal arsenals of dangerous weapons in this region's history.
Federal agents say it was a timebomb waiting to go off. A fire would have been disastrous since the massive cache of weapons included high explosive grenades, rockets and C-4 plastic explosives.
It took months to find out who was behind this, but ultimately, the investigation led from Bellevue to Spokane and to Ronald Struve.
Little is known about Struve. Neighbor Lana Denny said Struve was a loner.
"I only saw him with another man once," she said. "I've never seen anyone go into his apartment or heard him talking to anyone."
Denny also said Strueve lived in filth.
"I looked through the windows and it was knee-deep with clothing and everything. I don't know how anybody could live like that," she said.
At his Spokane apartment, feds say Struve had a number of anti-government materials, including a bumper sticker that read: "End the Fed."
Struve doesn't deny the weapons were his, but investigators needed to find out why he had them. According to court filings, Struve told federal agents he thought he would need to use the firearms and explosives at some unspecified date in the future.
The feds believe Struve had plans to use the weapons. Therefore, they have been fighting hard to keep him locked up as he awaits trial. Prosecutors warn there are no conditions which could be set that would ensure the public's safety.
Struve was extradited from Spokane earlier this week. His court hearing is scheduled at federal court at 11:30 a.m. Friday.

[fortinbras]

Makes me wonder why Struve allowed the rent on the storage unit to go unpaid. He must have gotten notices from the storage company ... and, even without reminders, you'd think that this would not have slipped his mind.

[Lambkin]

Can we keep Guantanamo open for just a few more months, for this guy?

[SteveSy]

Any particular reason you titled this with "TP", the word tax doesn't even appear once in the story. I didn't look to hard but a search of google didn't turn up a single story even mentioning his position concerning taxes.

Maybe the Maddoff case should have been titled "Man who thinks income taxes are constitutional scams billions in ponzi scheme from unsuspecting investors"

[Judge Roy Bean]

Struve is really not all that uncommon albeit I'm not sure he's also into tax avoidance or protesting. But I do know a lot of these kinds of guys stash away things "just in case" and as they get older their collection becomes more of a burden than they thought it would be. Trust me, the further you get out into the boonies the more this kind of hardware is hidden. A lot of it. Even among people who wouldn't even know how to use it.

It's a great investment. I'd bet the old Polsten gun I saw in one guy's trailer back in the fifties has beaten the performance of stock market. You just have to be careful who is interested.

[Famspear]

Any particular reason you titled this with "TP", the word tax doesn't even appear once in the story. I didn't look to hard but a search of google didn't turn up a single story even mentioning his position concerning taxes.

Huh? From the context in the Quatloos forum, I always thought that the abbreviation "TP" was always used to stand for "Terrible Person."

Juuusssttt kidding....

[notorial dissent]

Gee, does this mean all the nut jobs aren’t up in Idaho???

[Famspear]

Whether he be a tax protester, I know not.

But one of the counts in the indictment is a charge that he violated the Internal Revenue Code -- specifically the portion of the Code known as the National Firearms Act -- and more specifically, Internal Revenue Code sections 5841, 5861(d), and 5871.

Section 5841 provides (in part):

Sec. 5841. Registration of firearms

(a) Central registry

The Secretary [of the Treasury or his delegate] shall maintain a central registry of all firearms in the United States which are not in the possession or under the control of the United States. This registry shall be known as the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The registry shall include—

(1) identification of the firearm;

(2) date of registration; and

(3) identification and address of person entitled to possession of the firearm.

(b) By whom registered

Each manufacturer, importer, and maker shall register each firearm he manufactures, imports, or makes. Each firearm transferred shall be registered to the transferee by the transferor.

[ . . . . ]

(e) Proof of registration

A person possessing a firearm registered as required by this section shall retain proof of registration which shall be made available to the Secretary upon request.

(bolding added).

And section 5861 provides (in part):

It shall be unlawful for any person—

[ . . . ]

(d) to receive or possess a firearm which is not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record [ . . . ]

Section 5871 provides:

Any person who violates or fails to comply with any provisions of this chapter [i.e., Chapter 53 of the Internal Revenue Code, sections 5801 through 5872, a/k/a the National Firearms Act] shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $10,000, or be imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

Cool stuff, eh?

[Famspear]

Just thought of something. The first sentence of section 5841(a) contains one of those legal terms that drives tax protesters crazy:

The Secretary [of the Treasury or his delegate] shall maintain a central registry of all firearms in the United States which are not in the possession or under the control of the United States.

(emphasis added).

Yes, it's the term "United States." In the first place the term appears in the sentence, it's being used in the geographic sense. Unless there's a contrary definition in Chapter 53 (or in Subtitle E generally) the geographic definition that would apply here would be the one found in 26 USC 7701(a)(9):

(a) When used in this title, where not otherwise distinctly expressed or manifestly incompatible with the intent thereof—

[ . . . ]

(9) United States

The term “United States” when used in a geographical sense includes only the States and the District of Columbia.

(bolding added).

So, hello, tax protesters, are you awake? The "United States" in the geographic sense used in the Code is not generally limited to the physical space known as the District of Columbia or to "federal enclaves," etc. (the definition may be modified in particular provisions of the Code, though).

And gosh darn it, there's that word "includes"! The word is immediately followed by the word "only". Congress could have simply used the term "means" in lieu of the phrase "includes only." Unfortunately for tax protesters, this deliberate Congressional use of the phrase "includes only" serves as yet another highlight of the point that people like Peter Hendrickson are completely bonkers when it comes to statutory construction.

In the second place where the term "United States" appears in the sentence, it's being used in the political sense -- as in, the Government of the United States of America.

[Demosthenes]

Makes me wonder why Struve allowed the rent on the storage unit to go unpaid. He must have gotten notices from the storage company ... and, even without reminders, you'd think that this would not have slipped his mind.

He rented it under a phony name and phony address.

[Demosthenes]

Any particular reason you titled this with "TP", the word tax doesn't even appear once in the story. I didn't look to hard but a search of google didn't turn up a single story even mentioning his position concerning taxes.

Maybe the Maddoff case should have been titled "Man who thinks income taxes are constitutional scams billions in ponzi scheme from unsuspecting investors"

Because, Stevie, I checked the story out before I posted it. I've read all of the court filings, and looked up all of the guys tax problems/liens.

Not everyone lives (and leaves a trail) on the internet.

[Demosthenes]

Struve is really not all that uncommon albeit I'm not sure he's also into tax avoidance or protesting. But I do know a lot of these kinds of guys stash away things "just in case" and as they get older their collection becomes more of a burden than they thought it would be. Trust me, the further you get out into the boonies the more this kind of hardware is hidden. A lot of it. Even among people who wouldn't even know how to use it.

It's a great investment. I'd bet the old Polsten gun I saw in one guy's trailer back in the fifties has beaten the performance of stock market. You just have to be careful who is interested.

This guy isn't some semi-literate lone wolf in the mountains. He's a court reporter in Spokane.

[Demosthenes]

Gee, does this mean all the nut jobs aren’t up in Idaho???

That's not saying much. Idaho is only about twenty miles from Spokane, WA.

[Demosthenes]

The "End the Fed" idiots are scrambling to distance themselves from Struve.

URGENT ACTION ALERT: Calling all END THE FEDistas!A former member Posted Jan 23, 2009 1:59 PM Link to this discussion
Post #: 152 FORWARD THIS TO ALL ALTERNATIVE NEWS OUTLETS IMMEDIATELY!

VERY IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ ARTICLE SNIPPET AT THE END OF THIS NOTICE!

WE ALL NEED TO COUNTER THIS DISINFO IMMEDIATELY!

So sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Apparently the demonization of the END THE FED movement has begun.

This has all the earmarks of a staged event.

The good news: It means END THE FED is having an effect!

All END THE FEDistas in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana, northern California, Alaska & nationwide need to mobilize immediately with a highly-visible educational campaign to counter this propaganda op that has been launched against us.

TALKING POINTS:


END THE FED is a peaceful movement

END THE FED is an educational movement

While END THE FED does engage in activism, it is always peaceful

END THE FED does NOT condone violence of any kind

END THE FED promotes change through lawful means only



ACTION ITEMS:


Contact all NWCN media outlets immediately & demand equal time for the real END THE FED message:

KING 5 Television
333 Dexter Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98109
206-448-5555
206-448-3600
800-45-NEWS-5
885 (Verizon Cellular)
206-448-4525 (FAX)
newstips@king5.com
crfaser@king5.com

KGW NewsChannel 8
1501 S.W. Jefferson Street
Portland, OR 97201
503-226-5000
503-221-5435
503-226-5115
503-226-5615

KREM TV 2
4103 S. Regal Street
Spokane, WA 99203
509-448-2000
509-838-7350
509-838-7387

KTVB NewsChannel 7
5407 Fairview Avenue
Boise, ID 83706
208-375-7277
208-321-5614
208-321-5680
208-375-7770 (FAX)
208-378-1762 (FAX)
ktvbnews@ktvb.com

nwnews@nwcn.com

888-847-6926



Picket the above locations immediately with signs declaring that END THE FED is peaceful

Picket the above locations immediately with signs demanding equal time for the real END THE FED message

Picket the above locations immediately with signs supporting the Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act

Get petition signatures in support of the Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act

Distribute END THE FED literature

Write letters in support of END THE FED to alternative media & mainstream media nationwide

[Demosthenes]

The most interesting line from the indictment:

[Struve] told Special Agent Wallace that he did not plan to sell the items in the storage locker, but rather to use the items at some uncertain date in the future.

http://www.cheatingfrenzy.com/struve1.pdf

[Demosthenes]

1. STRUVE,RONALD L
SPOKANE, WA 99218-1905
Original Filing Date: 5/8/2007
Amount: $110,333
FEDERAL TAX LIEN Filing Number: 5532895
Filing Office: SPOKANE COUNTY AUDITOR'S OFFICE, WA INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE

2. STRUVE,RONALD L
SANTA ANA, CA 92706
Original Filing Date: 1/30/2006
Amount: $97,463
FEDERAL TAX LIEN Filing Number: 2006000065248
Filing Office: ORANGE COUNTY - RECORDER OF DEEDS, CA IRS

3. STRUVE,RONALD L
REDMOND, WA 98052-5544
Original Filing Date: 1/21/2004
Amount: $18,805
STATE TAX LIEN Filing Number: 2004000043327
Filing Office: ORANGE COUNTY - RECORDER OF DEEDS, CA STATE OF CALIFORNIA

4. STRUVE,RONALD L
SANTA ANA, CA 92706-1226
Original Filing Date: 12/10/2002
Amount: $21,406
STATE TAX LIEN Filing Number: 200212100915
Filing Office: SACRAMENTO COUNTY COURT (RD), CA STATE OF CALIFORNIA

5. STRUVE,RONALD I
SANTA ANA, CA 92706-1226
Original Filing Date: 9/8/1999
Amount: $3,871
STATE TAX LIEN Filing Number: 990647300
Filing Office: ORANGE COUNTY - RECORDER OF DEEDS, CA STATE OF CALIFORNIA

6. STRUVE,RONALD L
KIRKLAND, WA 98034-4305
Original Filing Date: 10/15/1993
Amount: $1,491
STATE TAX LIEN Filing Number: 9310151236
Book/Page: 931015/1236
Filing Office: SACRAMENTO COUNTY COURT (RD), CA STATE OF CALIFORNIA

[wserra]

From the govt's detention memorandum:

The evidence indicates that Struve has engaged in a pattern of actively concealing his identity and residential location. He used commercial shipping and mailbox addresses for his driver’s license and automobile registrations. The utilities for the location in which he was found were in the name of a dead person. The Bellevue storage unit was rented under the primary name of “Gary Moll,” with a commercial address that is not believed to be associated with either Struve nor the real Gary Moll. Struve also rented at least three other storage units with a commercial shipping and mailbox address.

Furthermore, Struve has few known ties to the Western District of Washington. Likewise, he is not known to have strong ties to the Spokane area, where he was residing when found. Struve apparently was working as a court reporter at the time of his arrest, an occupation that is inherently mobile and easily relocated. A public records search, moreover, shows that Struve is associated with numerous address in Washington and California.

The evidence against Struve in this case – including his own admissions – is strong. Moreover, he faces significant penalties if convicted. Each illegally possessed firearm and explosive is an offense that carries a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment. See 26 U.S.C. §§ 5861(d), 5871. Especially in light of Struve’s suspected antipathy to federal authorities, these serious penalties create an added incentive for Struve to fail to appear.

I'm convinced.

[ClobberroTestii]

And gosh darn it, there's that word "includes"! The word is immediately followed by the word "only". Congress could have simply used the term "means" in lieu of the phrase "includes only." Unfortunately for tax protesters, this deliberate Congressional use of the phrase "includes only" serves as yet another highlight of the point that people like Peter Hendrickson are completely bonkers when it comes to statutory construction.

Nowhere is there a rule of statutory construction that conditions a proper construction based on an analysis of the words the Congress "might have used". Unfortunately for you the Congress's deliberate choice of words is the law. Unfortunately for the rest of us a largely incompetent legal profession does not comprehend this.

[Famspear]

And gosh darn it, there's that word "includes"! The word is immediately followed by the word "only". Congress could have simply used the term "means" in lieu of the phrase "includes only." Unfortunately for tax protesters, this deliberate Congressional use of the phrase "includes only" serves as yet another highlight of the point that people like Peter Hendrickson are completely bonkers when it comes to statutory construction.

Nowhere is there a rule of statutory construction that conditions a proper construction based on an analysis of the words the Congress "might have used". Unfortunately for you the Congress's deliberate choice of words is the law. Unfortunately for the rest of us a largely incompetent legal profession does not comprehend this.

Thank you for sharing your feelings with us, but no, there's nothing here that's "unfortunate for me." And the Congress used the words "includes only" here, remember?

Regardless of how you feel, the legal profession is not "largely incompetent." I am right. You are wrong.

[notorial dissent]

Gee, does this mean all the nut jobs aren’t up in Idaho???

That's not saying much. Idaho is only about twenty miles from Spokane, WA.

Spillover maybe, or else Idaho’s filled it’s last vacancy for village idiot?

The most interesting line from the indictment:

[Struve] told Special Agent Wallace that he did not plan to sell the items in the storage locker, but rather to use the items at some uncertain date in the future.

And ain’t that just plum scary!!!!