ST. LOUIS, MO
A federal judge on Thursday sentenced two Ferguson protestors to seven years in prison each for planning to use pipe bombs during the Ferguson protests along with procuring weapons, officials announced.
U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey sentenced Olajuwon Davis, a member of the New Black Panther Party, and Brandon Orlando Baldwin, who was employed at Cabela’s Inc, a federally licensed firearms dealers, officials said.
The defendants paid $250 for three pipe bombs, officials allege.
Possible targets where the pipe bombs were be ignited included public buildings, police vehicles and police along with the St. Louis County prosecutor and the Ferguson chief of police.
Court evidence also indicates the following facts:
- In August 2014, Olajuwon Davis, a member of the New Black Panther Party, became a frequent protester in Ferguson, Missouri.
- During the protests, Davis met a fellow protestor by the name of Brandon Orlando Baldwin who was employed at Cabela’s Inc., Hazelwood, Missouri.
- Cabela’s is a federally licensed firearms dealer.
- Davis and Baldwin began to discuss how they could help arm some of the individuals taking part in the Ferguson protests.
- Baldwin volunteered that he could use his position at Cabela’s, and thereafter, Davis related to several people that he could procure firearms for convicted felons through Baldwin at the Cabela’s store.
- In fact, three such purchases were made: one on October 22, 2014, and two on November 7, 2014.
- By early to mid-November, Davis and Baldwin’s talk of procuring guns had shifted into acquiring bombs.
- The discussions included types of bombs, blast radius, and cost.
- Public buildings, police vehicles and police were discussed as possible targets; also mentioned as possible targets were the St. Louis County prosecutor and the Ferguson chief of police.
- On November 12, 2014, an undercover informant showed the defendants a recording of a controlled explosion that would be produced by the type of pipe bomb the defendants were talking about purchasing.
- The defendants requested a delivery date of Friday November 21, 2014.
- On Thursday evening November 20th, the arranged sale of three bombs was scheduled for shortly after midnight in the early morning hours of Friday.
- The reason for the delay was so that one of the defendants would be able to withdraw an additional $150 from an ATM machine to complete the purchase price of $250 for the three pipe bombs.
- The parties then met at a prearranged location in Hazelwood where the exchange of money for the three would-be bombs took place.
- Immediately upon the exchange taking place, Davis and Baldwin were arrested.
Olajuwon Davis, 23, St. Louis, pled guilty in June to one felony count each of conspiracy to damage or destroy a building, vehicle and other property by use of an explosive, conspiracy to make false written statements in connection with the purchase of firearms and the transfer of firearms to a felon and two felony counts of aiding and abetting in the making of false written statements in connection with a firearms purchase.
Brandon Orlando Baldwin, 24, St. Louis, pled guilty in June to one felony count each of conspiracy to damage or destroy a building, vehicle and other property by use of an explosive, conspiracy to make false written statements in connection with the purchase of firearms and the transfer of firearms to a felon and two felony counts of making false written statements in connection with a firearms purchase.
“The disruption of this plot, coming as it did on the eve of the expected Grand Jury announcement, undoubtedly saved lives. Luckily for all of us, we’ll never know just how many,” said U.S. Attorney Richard Callahan
“We are pleased both members of the New Black Panther Party, St. Louis Chapter admitted their guilt before the Court,” said William P. Woods, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI St. Louis Division. “The ultimate satisfaction is that we prevented their violent acts during the Ferguson protests which saved lives.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s or ICE, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, St Louis County Police Department and the St Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
