wmlro.com: US man pleads guilty to arson despite terrorism links

Seemingly, it's OK to be a terrorist of Irish extraction in the USA, and using terrorism for any cause that doesn't claim to be Islamic means a soft touch.

The Los Angeles FBI has entered into a plea agreement - endorsed by HH Manuel L Real - that ends with 44 year old Steven (sic) James Murphy pleading guilty to conspiracy to maliciously damage or destroy property.

According to a plea agreement filed in the case, Murphy learned from a known but unindicted conspirator how to construct an incendiary device using a four-US pint plastic juice bottle, petrol and a delayed ignition timer. The two planned on committing arson on behalf of the ELF by using the incendiary device to burn down a building project in the hope of intimidating and inflicting economic harm on individuals and entities that they believed to be causing harm to the environment.

On 19 September, 2006, Murphy placed the incendiary device in a partially constructed unit in the multi-million dollar historic condominium project known as the Vista Del Arroyo Bungalows, which was being built directly beneath the Colorado bridge in Pasadena. Before leaving the scene, Murphy lit the device with the intent that it burn down the entire development under construction. The delayed-ignition timer failed, however, before it could ignite the petrol contained in the device.Had it done so, the fire department said, it was powerful enough to destroy the whole complex.

Murphy also admitted disabling the ignition of a tractor used on the job site and crediting the ELF by writing "ANOTHER TRACTOR DECOMMISSIONED BY THE ELF."

Murphy's role was discovered when DNA found on the plastic bottle was recovered and, three years later, produced a match in the national CODIS DNA matching system.

Murphy is the second person to be prosecuted in recent years by the United States Attorney's Office for domestic terrorism activities involving Environmental Extremism. The first case involved William Jensen Cottrell, who was recently re-sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for his role in a 2003 fire-bombing spree in the name of the ELF that destroyed more than 72 sport utility vehicles and a West Covina car dealership building.