FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 19, 2006

Rice County Man Pleads Guilty

in Connection to Threat to Blow Up Courthouse

        Minneapolis   - A Kenyon, Minnesota, man who threatened to blow up the Rice County Courthouse has pled guilty in federal court to possession of a destructive device.  Allan Talmage Weatherford, age 45, entered his plea before U.S. District Court Judge Paul A. Magnuson in Minneapolis on Monday.

        According to his guilty plea, Weatherford admitted to possession of an explosive device in connection with his threat to blow up government buildings, including the Rice County Courthouse and local law enforcement center.  Moreover, Weatherford acknowledged possession of sixteen firearms, including a fifty-caliber assault rifle, a semi-automatic rifle, bolt-action rifles, pump-action shotguns, and handguns.  Weatherford is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms.

        According to court documents in this case, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Weatherford’s Rice County farm on November 7, 2005, and seized thirteen firearms, including the fifty-caliber assault rifle.  On February 11, 2006, law enforcement again found Weatherford with a firearm and arrested him.  Based on information developed during the subsequent investigation, law enforcement executed another search warrant on the farmstead on March 23, 2006, and recovered an explosive device made from a CO2 cartridge, black powder, and a fuse.  They also found material used in the construction of the device as well as a pistol and ammunition.  On March 28, 2006, investigators located two propane tanks on the farm filled with a mixture of fertilizer and petroleum.  Subsequent lab analysis indicated, however, that the mixture was not of the quality needed to produce an explosive.

        Weatherford faces a maximum potential penalty of ten years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.  According to the terms of the plea agreement, the defendant faces a sentence of between eight and ten years’ imprisonment.  Based on the facts of the case, the United States Attorney’s Office has indicated it will seek a sentence of ten years, the statutory maximum.  The actual sentence will be determined and imposed by Judge Magnuson on a date not yet determined. 

        Following today’s plea, United States Attorney Rachel K. Paulose said, “Weatherford’s conduct in this case is an unfortunate incident of domestic terrorism.  One of the highest priorities of the United States Department of Justice is to make certain our citizens, court officials, and law enforcement officers are kept safe from these kinds of threats.” 

        This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Rice County Sheriff’s Office; the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office; the Northfield Police Department; and the Bloomington Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Joseph T. Dixon prosecuted the case.

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