The ranchers at the center of the “Oregon Occupation” will enter a federal prison in California today, reports say.
According to Oregon Live:
“The two father and son ranchers who triggered a national cry for justice over their convictions for arson were expected today to surrender themselves to federal prison, ending efforts of militants and fellow ranchers to spare them.
A family friend who asked not to be publicly identified told The Oregonian/OregonLive that Dwight Hammond Jr., 73, and Steven Hammond, 46, left Harney County over the weekend to report. He said they were traveling to California.
Their surrender closes one chapter of a controversial case that has spun into a national drama.
They leave behind a community reeling from the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, a sweeping reserve southeast of Burns. Militants, including the three sons of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, took over the empty headquarters compound on Saturday, insisting they will stay until federal land is returned to private ownership.
Those militants were part of a crowd of about 300 other self-styled militia members and local residents who paraded on behalf of the Hammonds.”
