Eric Lee Flores, 22, on Thursday admitted he traveled to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge with guns and did guard duty there in January as he pleaded guilty to conspiring to impede federal officers through intimidation, threats or force.
Federal prosecutors will recommend that Flores, among the youngest indicted in the case and now with his first felony conviction, serve six months on home detention when he's sentenced Dec. 8.
"I thought I was doing the right thing,'' Flores told U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown. "I thought it was public land.''
Eric Lee Flores, 22 Flores became the second of 26 defendants to plead guilty to the conspiracy charge stemming from the 41-day armed takeover of the eastern Oregon bird sanctuary. Corey Lequieu, 46, pleaded guilty last month and faces two-and-a-half years in prison.
Flores, who lives on the Tulalip Reservation in Washington and was arrested there on Feb. 11, told the court he conspired with co-defendant Darryl Thorn to travel to the refuge in January.
Thorn, also of Washington, remains out of custody awaiting trial, but his court-appointed defense lawyer attended Thursday's hearing, taking notes during the proceeding.
In an interview with FBI agents, Flores had admitted he brought up to seven guns – including rifles and handguns – to the refuge, and handed them out to other occupiers, Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Gabriel said. He made at least three trips to the refuge with a co-defendant and spent a lot of time in the refuge watchtower on guard duty before leaving Jan. 26, Gabriel said.
That was the day federal agents and state police moved in to arrest leaders of the occupation as they were riding in two cars to a community meeting in John Day. Occupation spokesman Robert "LaVoy'' Finicum tried to elude officers and was fatally shot by state police.
Leader Ammon Bundy has said protesters seized the refuge to protest the return to federal prison of two Harney County ranchers convicted of setting fire to federal land and to demonstrate against the federal control of public land.
As part of Flores' plea deal, he has agreed to forfeit the seven guns seized by the government, pay an undetermined amount of restitution and waive the right to an appeal, except in limited circumstances. The felony conviction prevents Flores from possessing any firearms or ammunition, the judge told him.
His sentencing is set for Dec. 8 at 11 a.m. When sentenced, the government will dismiss a gun charge against him.
In other developments related to the pending case against Ammon Bundy and co-defendants, Bundy's new lawyers J. Morgan Philpot and Marcus Mumford, of Utah, have signaled to the judge in court documents that they anticipate "significant changes'' in their client's legal defense.
They said they are making their first face-to-face contact with Ammon Bundy this week in Portland. They also plan to vigorously object to any court action to remove a public gallery from the trial courtroom.
A trial is set for Sept. 7. Yet some defense lawyers might argue for a delay. The next status hearing in the case is set for June 15.
-- Maxine Bernstein
mbernstein@oregonian.com
503-221-8212
@maxoregonian