A federal grand jury in Florida returned a superseding indictment charging two additional Florida residents with federal crimes arising out of a series of targeted attacks on pregnancy resource facilities in the state, officials stated.
Caleb Freestone, 27, and Amber Smith-Stewart, 23, were previously charged with the same offenses in March.
According to the superseding indictment, Gabriella Oropesa and Annarella Rivera, along with Freestone and Smith-Stewart, engaged in a conspiracy to prevent employees of reproductive health facilities from providing those services.
As part of the conspiracy, the defendants allegedly targeted pregnancy resource facilities and vandalized those facilities with spray-painted threats, according to officials.
Some of the co-conspirators are alleged to have spray-painted threats, including “If abortions aren’t safe than niether [sic] are you,” “YOUR TIME IS UP!!,” “WE’RE COMING for U,” and “We are everywhere,” on a reproductive health services facility in Winter Haven, Florida.
Facilities in Hollywood, Florida, and Hialeah, Florida, were also allegedly targeted.
(News Report Two Months Ago)
The superseding indictment also alleges that Rivera, along with Freestone and Smith-Stewart, violated the FACE Act by using threats of force to intimidate and interfere with the employees of a reproductive health services facility in Winter Haven because those employees were providing or seeking to provide reproductive health services.
The superseding indictment further alleges that Rivera, along with Freestone and Smith-Stewart, violated the FACE Act by intentionally damaging and destroying the facility’s property because the facility provides reproductive health services.
If convicted of the offenses, Rivera, Freestone and Smith-Stewart each face up to 12 years in prison and fines of up to $350,000. Oropesa faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI Tampa Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Thelwell for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.