Oregon Refuge Occupiers Plead Not Guilty To Conspiracy

The 16 defendants, including militia leader Ammon Bundy, face up to six years in prison if convicted.

Mug shots of Ammon Bundy, top left, and other people arrested for their participating in the Oregon standoff.

Multnomah County Sheriff's Office/Maricopa County Sheriff's Office via AP

Ammon Bundy and more than a dozen other participants in the Oregon standoff pleaded not guilty to conspiracy Wednesday.

A total of 16 defendants entered not guilty pleas in Portland, the Associated Press reported. The group includes militia leader Ammon Bundy, as well as well-known right-wing activists Jon Ritzheimer, Ryan Bundy, and Shawna Cox.

All of the defendants face a single charge for conspiring to impede federal officers for their role in taking over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in January.

The group faces up to six years in prison if convicted.

The occupation began after a protest over the then-pending imprisonment of two Oregon ranchers. Participants at the refuge then used the resulting standoff with federal authorities to voice complaints about the U.S. government, particularly its federal land management policies.

In court Wednesday, one occupier reiterated that criticism when U.S. District Judge Anna Brown pointed out that the defendants are innocent until proven guilty.

"You're the federal government; you're going to do whatever you want," Jason Patrick said, according to the AP.

The judge set a trial date for April 29, though that will likely be postponed.

LINK: 16 Occupiers Of Oregon Wildlife Refuge Indicted In Federal Court

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