Ahead of Sentencing, Schaeffer Cox Being Held in Washington

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By Sam Friedman - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner / sfriedman@newsminer.com

Story Created: Aug 31, 2012 at 8:58 AM AKDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2012 at 8:58 AM AKDT

FAIRBANKS — Convicted Fairbanks militia leader Schaeffer Cox is being held in Washington state while awaiting sentencing in November, according to U.S. Marshals.

Cox’s new lawyer lives in Washington.

Sentencing hearings for Cox and co-defendants Lonnie Vernon, Karen Vernon and Coleman Barney are scheduled for this fall in Anchorage, starting with Barney in September. The other hearings are in November.

Cox’s co-defendants remain jailed in Alaska.

A federal jury in June convicted Cox and Lonnie Vernon of charges associated with their plot to kill government officials.

Cox was found guilty on nine counts, including conspiracy to commit murder and owning illegal weapons. The jury acquitted him on two weapons charges.

Fairbanks attorney Nelson Traverso represented Cox at trial, but Traverso has since withdrawn, citing dissatisfaction from Cox in his representation.

Seattle attorney Peter Camiel now represents Cox, who is incarcerated at the Federal Detention Center, SeaTac, near Seattle.

Vernon, of Salcha, was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to possess unregistered silencers and hand grenades. The jury acquitted him of carrying firearms during a crime of violence.

Another co-defendant, Coleman Barney, of North Pole, was convicted on two weapons charges in the joint trial, which was held in Anchorage. Jurors deadlocked on the murder conspiracy charge against Barney, and prosecutors decided not to retry him. Barney has said he intends to appeal his conviction.

Vernon, along with his wife, Karen, also are awaiting sentencing in a separate case involving their own plot to kill federal officials over a tax dispute with the Internal Revenue Service.

The Vernons pleaded guilty Monday as part of a plea agreement. Under the agreement, Lonnie Vernon will be sentenced to a combined sentence of 22 5/6 to 27 1/4 years for the tax-related conspiracy case and the murder conspiracy case involving Cox, and Karen Vernon will be sentenced to no more than 15 2/3 years. U.S. District Court Judge Robert Bryan will determine the sentence within the parameters of the plea agreement.

Contact Fairbanks Daily News-Miner staff writer Sam Friedman at 907-459-7545. Follow him on Twitter: @FDNMcrime.

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lol said on Tuesday, Sep 4 at 12:03 PM

lol - that is good...yes we might as well bet on it! just like with the end days of 2000 oh my...yeah... scratch the head...that came and went...as will this! I think the military bases have rations and such if they need to feed Alaskans...and shelter them...so why the diversification of funds in the private sector - when they can be sent to the military bases - I thought the one in Fairbanks was up for a shutdown? well send the goods there and keep it open - for a rainy day - right Sean?

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Anonymous said on Monday, Sep 3 at 6:07 PM

naw Seanny boy is busy wasting 4 mil hiding in his hollers some food for 48,000 people I guess...may be he is preparing for the inevitable when war breaks out - no doubt by Seanny boys "end days" belief system...anyone want to be a case of Corona? When it comes and passes we can open it up and drink to humanity in motion...not politics comotions...lol...

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Anonymous said on Monday, Sep 3 at 4:29 PM

someone was saying on another thread that the reason he was relocated is the "cat" is out of the bag... and he might have sang like a bird - witness protection now...who knows...they couldn't give us a straight story if they tried...

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Anonymous said on Friday, Aug 31 at 6:13 PM

well they need to go after Palin, Parnell and Young in this "militia" mentality they got going in politics...it will backfire on them when sh*t hits the fan and we are "left behind" in a catastrophe... meanwhile they will be somewhere tropical laughing!

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Wes said on Friday, Aug 31 at 3:23 PM

There will be a lot more of this in the coming years, I think. The ballot box is the place to make changes; violence is for those not creative enough to figure this out.

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