Jon Ritzheimer sentenced

According to Stars & Stripes, Oathkeeper and provocateur, Jon Ritzheimer was sentenced in an Oregon federal courtroom last Thursday for his role in the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge last year. He wore his Marine Corps medals on his blue suit, which he removed during sentencing, stating that he wasn’t proud of them anymore.

The prosecutor asked for two years in prison, but the judge gave him a year and a day along with a year of supervised release. Of course, Ritzheimer’s lawyer claimed that he suffered from PTSD and that’s why the Iraq War veteran threatened war against federal officers in the bird sanctuary.

“In the winter of 2016, in the high desert terrain of eastern Oregon, decked out in military garb and slinging a rifle, Jon Ritzheimer was a wounded warrior, still at war,” [Defense lawyer Terri] Wood wrote in her sentencing memo.

Yeah, we have Ritzheimer’s Marine Corps records, he was a truck driver while he was in Iraq, he wasn’t wounded and there’s no Combat Action Ribbon indicating that he participated in combat.

It seems to me that Ritzheimer was itching to engage in the combat he didn’t see in Iraq right there in Oregon;

Ritzheimer also was in the first convoy of cars who arrived at the refuge on Jan. 2, 2016. They were armed and cleared each building before blocking the front gate and positioning armed guards in the watchtower and entrances. Ritzheimer had a military-style AR-15 during that initial takeover and described himself as “triggerman,” according to the prosecutor.

“Thank God there was not an employee there,” Gabriel said. ” If there had been, your Honor, we could be looking at a different case.”

After the occupation, paperwork seized by federal agents showed Ritzheimer was listed as a leader of the infantry squad, constitutional defense forces, and a rapid response team, and that he went by the nickname “Rogue.” On Jan. 5, 2016, fearing federal officers were going to raid the refuge, Ritzheimer urged other occupiers to take a “defensive posture.” In a subsequent video that went viral, Ritzheimer was angered by hate mail and a package of sex toys sent to the refuge during the occupation, and he was captured angrily knocking them all off a table.

I think Dave Hardin was the person who sent the Malheur occupiers a bag of Gummi Penises. So that’s his fault.

Back to the courtroom;

Ritzheimer made a brief reference to the bar of colorful military medals he wore on his jacket lapel. “I came here with this stuff on,” he said, pausing, overcome with emotion. As he removed the pin of medals and placed them on the defense table before him, he added, “I’m really not proud of it anymore, your honor.”

He said he never wants to be a person who is “just following orders” again.

Brown told Ritzheimer no one was contesting his valor and military service. The medals, she said, are intended to recognize his accomplishments, but there’s no debate that he carries the burden of his combat and needs continued treatment for it.

I’ll bet he sees 2404s in his sleep – those Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services keep me up late, I know. I have flashbacks to hours of reading at the PM Magazine and the large-breasted cartoon women contained within.

Thanks to Skippy for the link.

Category: Dumbass Bullshit