{"id":12352,"date":"2012-05-19T22:26:39","date_gmt":"2012-05-20T02:26:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theredphoenixapl.org\/?p=12352"},"modified":"2012-05-19T22:26:39","modified_gmt":"2012-05-20T02:26:39","slug":"3-men-charged-with-terror-conspiracy-ahead-of-nato","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redphoenix.news\/es\/2012\/05\/3-men-charged-with-terror-conspiracy-ahead-of-nato\/","title":{"rendered":"3 men charged with terror conspiracy ahead of NATO"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy SHANNON MCFARLAND and TAMMY WEBBER<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

CHICAGO (AP) \u2014 Three men arrested earlier this week when police raided a Chicago apartment were being held Saturday on terrorism conspiracy charges, accused of trying to make Molotov cocktails ahead of the NATO summit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Their attorney, Sarah Gelsomino, said the men are “absolutely in shock and have no idea where these charges are coming from.”<\/span><\/p>\n

They were scheduled to be in court later Saturday for a bond hearing on charges of conspiracy to commit terrorism, possession of an explosive or incendiary device and providing material support for terrorism.<\/span><\/p>\n

Six others arrested Wednesday in the South Side raid were released Friday without being charged.<\/span><\/p>\n

Among the items seized by federal authorities was beer-making equipment, Gelsomino said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chicago police Lt. Kenneth Stoppa declined to elaborate on the case beyond confirming the charges against the three who were still in custody.<\/span><\/p>\n

Police identified the men being held as Brian Church, 20, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Jared Chase, 24, of Keene, N.H.; and Brent Vincent Betterly, 24. A police spokesman gave Betterly’s hometown as Oakland Park, Mass., but no such town exists. There is an Oakland Park, Fla., that is near Fort Lauderdale.<\/span><\/p>\n

The three came to Chicago in late April to take part in May Day protests, said activist Bill Vassilakis, who said he let them stay in his apartment.<\/span><\/p>\n

He said Betterly was an industrial electrician and had volunteered to help wire service at The Plant, a former meatpacking facility that has been turned into a food incubator with the city’s backing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vassilakis said he thought the charges were unwarranted.<\/span><\/p>\n

“All I can say about that is, if you knew Brent, you would find that to be the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard. He was the most stand-up guy that was staying with me. He and the other guys had done nothing but volunteer their time and energy,” he said.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Authorities in Oakland Park, Fla., said Betterly and two other young men walked into a public high school last fall after a night of tequila drinking and took a swim in the pool, according to a report in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.<\/span><\/p>\n

They stole fire extinguishers from three school buses, discharged one and smashed a cafeteria window with another. The vandalism caused about $2,000 in damage, the newspaper said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Betterly was charged with burglary, theft and criminal mischief.<\/span><\/p>\n

Security has been high throughout the city in preparation for the summit, where delegations from about 60 countries will discuss the war in Afghanistan and European missile defense.<\/span><\/p>\n

Elsewhere, Chicago was mostly quiet. Downtown streets were largely empty, though that is not unusual for a weekend. Security guards stood watch outside many downtown buildings. In places, the guards almost outnumbered pedestrians.<\/span><\/p>\n

Outside the Chicago Board of Trade, a frequent target of Occupy protesters, a lone protester wore a sign about wasteful military spending.<\/span><\/p>\n

Closer to the summit site, commuter rail service was halted for a short time so police could investigate a suspicious package on a train running beneath the convention center where diplomats will be meeting. Investigators determined there was no threat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Among the pre-NATO protests planned for Saturday was a march on the home of Mayor Rahm Emanuel.<\/span><\/p>\n

The bigger show will be on Sunday, the start of the two-day NATO summit, when thousands of protesters are expected to march 2\u00bd miles from a band shell on Lake Michigan to the McCormick Place convention center, where delegates will be meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n

On Friday, police on bicycles and foot tailed activists through the streets but ignored taunts and went out of their way to make as few arrests as possible. Protesters made a lot of noise and tried to evade police, but otherwise were relatively uneventful.<\/span><\/p>\n

In all, police said there was a single arrest on a charge of aggravated battery of a police officer. Another man was briefly taken into custody, but he was released a short time later after being questioned by police, a department spokesman said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Michael Olstewski, a recent music school graduate who came to Chicago from Atlanta, was one of hundreds of protesters who took to the streets Friday for a spontaneous march. He said he would not rule out provoking police to arrest him later “if I feel it’s strategic and a powerful statement.”<\/span><\/p>\n

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