FC: Feds raid cypherpunk's home, search for assassination documents

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,40102,00.html

   IRS Raids Cypherpunk's House
   by Declan McCullagh (declan () wired com)
   2:00 a.m. Nov. 11, 2000 PST

   WASHINGTON -- When a dozen armed federal agents invaded Jim Bell's
   home this week, he wasn't exactly surprised.

   Ever since Bell, a cypherpunk whom the U.S. government has dubbed a
   techno-terrorist, was released from prison in April, he's predicted
   another confrontation with the Feds.

   "They're basically trying to harass me," Bell said in a telephone
   interview. He has not been arrested or charged with a crime.

   In 1996, Bell attracted the unwelcome attention of the IRS and the
   U.S. Secret Service after they learned he was talking up a plan to
   promote the assassination of miscreant bureaucrats through an unholy
   mix of encryption, anonymity and digital cash. Bell even gave his
   scheme a catchy title: "Assassination Politics."

   Four years, three arrests and one plea-bargain later, Bell was
   released from the medium-security federal penitentiary in Phoenix,
   Arizona. Since then, he's been busy trying to prove allegations of
   illegal surveillance on the part of the Feds, including his charge
   that they unlawfully bugged his home.

   For Bell, that meant spending the last six months compiling personal
   information about IRS and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
   agents, a move that appears to have led to the six-hour search of his
   home in Vancouver, Washington.

   Government offices were closed on Friday, and representatives were
   unavailable for comment. But the agents' search warrant cites
   "evidence of violations" of a federal law that prohibits intimidation
   of IRS agents.

   [...]

***********

I've included links to the original documents in this article:

http://www.cluebot.com/article.pl?sid=00/11/11/101218&mode=nested

   Feds Raid Cypherpunk Jim Bell
   posted by declan on Saturday November 11, @05:58AM
   from the now-who-saw-this-coming? dept.

   Crypto-convict Jim Bell, best known for popularizing the idea
   of offing Feds through anonymity, encryption, and digital cash,
   was raided this week by the IRS and BATF. He has not been arrested and
   is irate, vengeful, and computer-less, but otherwise fine. This
   happened just half a year after he was released from prison. We've
   placed JPGs online of the search warrant, vehicle search warrant,
   justification, and list of items taken. Note the justification
   includes items related to his "Assassination Politics" scheme. We also
   offer some background and a surprisingly flattering color slide photo
   I took of Bell.

*********

Photo:
http://www.mccullagh.org/image/9/jim-bell-3.html




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