Feds allege Oregon man violated rule for release

Jones NOT BLADE PHOTO Enlarge

After his arrest on charges that he mailed a hangman's noose to a Lima community activist, Daniel Lee Jones was released from custody under certain conditions - namely that he stay away from the Internet.

This week, federal prosecutors filed a motion to revoke that release order, alleging Mr. Jones violated conditions of release.

The motion, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Toledo, alleged that not only did Mr. Jones go online, but he did so to post items on white supremacist message boards.

"There will be a hearing on this," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Dave Bauer, noting that Judge David Katz had not set a date. "At the hearing, we will probably put on evidence."

Mr. Jones of Portland, Ore., is purported to have ties to a white supremacist group.

He was indicted in October on charges that he mailed a noose to Jason Upthegrove, president of the Lima, Ohio, branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and that he sent "hate flyers" to some Lima residents.

Mr. Jones' attorney, Andrew Hart of the federal public defender's office, could not be reached for comment.

Arrested in Oregon, Mr. Jones was brought to Toledo, where he pleaded not guilty to one count each of interfering with civil rights and mailing threatening communications.

Mr. Jones was not detained but released with specific conditions, including that he allow pretrial services to install monitoring software on his computer and that he not access the Internet without approval.

According to court documents, Mr. Jones refused the monitoring software but instead turned over his computer.

Since then, Mr. Jones had accessed the Internet several times, the motion alleged, despite not having permission. Specifically, the motion said that he posted several messages on a "white supremacist Internet message board" on Oct. 13 and 14 and again on Dec. 10.

He is also accused of communicating with the host of "a self-described 'white movement' radio talk show," by e-mail and through an Internet-based telephone system.

"The United States requested the limitations on [Mr. Jones'] Internet use as a condition of release because defendant has previously posted on the Internet the personal information of individuals who oppose his ideology in an effort to intimidate them," the motion said. "For example, defendant posted a professor's home address and a photograph of his home on a white supremacist Web site. The professor understandably felt intimidated by the posting."

The motion further stated that Mr. Jones has been associated with the American National Socialist Workers Party, which has "routinely posted on the Internet the personal information of those who opposed the ideals of ANSWP."

"In fact, the victim in the present case was targeted after an ANSWP member posted the victim's address and phone number, as well as photographs of the victim, his wife, his children, and his NAACP co-workers on the Internet," the motion said.

Mr. Bauer declined to say how Mr. Jones' Internet use was monitored. The motion stated that it is "likely" there are other violations "of which the United States is not currently aware."

"Defendant's unfettered and unmonitored use of the Internet poses a particular risk to witness safety given that the defendant has already been given a large amount of discovery materials containing information about government witnesses," the motion said.

Mr. Upthegrove could not be reached for comment.

Contact Erica Blake at:

eblake@theblade.com

or 419-213-2134.