Canadian Judge Tosses Case After Finding Law Enforcement Entrapped Supposed Terrorists

from the but-for-the-grace-of-untargeted,-overbudgeted-law-enforcement-agencies-go-we dept

It's not just FBI agents playing with Home-Grown Terrorist™ Erector Sets. It's also Canada's top law enforcement agency, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. When there apparently aren't enough actual terrorists to be found, agencies like these need to front the $40 at Wal-Mart for terrorist supplies, or dupe someone with an IQ of 51 into becoming the latest Indictment Du Jour.

Despite this, courts have largely gone along with the charade. It's almost impossible for someone to successfully raise an entrapment defense, whether it's a group of senior citizens who've been molded by undercover agents into an ad hoc terror unit or a bunch of easily-impressed thugs being hounded into stealing nonexistent drugs from fake stash houses.

Up in Canada, though, the law enforcement game may be played by the same rules, but one court isn't willing to encourage the RCMP's Build-a-Terrorist shenanigans.

A British Columbia couple convicted of terrorism charges have had their verdicts tossed out in a scathing court decision that flays the RCMP for its “egregious” conduct in manipulating naive suspects into carrying out a police-manufactured crime.

[...]

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Catherine Bruce said the Mounties used trickery, deceit and veiled threats to engineer the terrorist acts for which Nuttall and Korody were arrested on Canada Day three years ago.

The RCMP, like its US equivalent, only seeks the best of the best when attempting to turn citizens into terrorists. In this case, the RCMP found two easy marks -- both heavily dependent on welfare checks and methadone -- and convinced them they were going to be involved in a revolutionary pressure cooker bombing at some point in the future.

Judge Bruce noted that the two suspects contributed almost nothing to the RCMP's plan. In fact, the judge stated that without the RCMP's incredible amount of assistance, any plans to bomb anything likely would never have materialized. The indicted pair weren't exactly self-starters, and the RCMP's undercover agent basically had to act like a maniacal cult leader to get them to do anything at all.

She also condemned the behaviour of the primary undercover officer who, at the direction of the operation’s overseers, discouraged Nuttall and Korody from seeking outside spiritual guidance and convinced them he was a member of a powerful international terrorist group that would likely kill them if they failed to follow through.

“He was their leader and they were his disciples,” said Bruce, who stayed the proceedings, which threw out the convictions and allowed the couple to walk free after more than three years behind bars.

The government is appealing the decision and still firmly believes that the only party that did anything wrong here were the methadone users who hardly did anything. And for their minimal contributions to the RCMP's master plan, the Crown is hoping to get a second chance at putting these two away for the rest of their lives.

Judge Bruce's statement when tossing the charges should be repeated on this side of the border, where the FBI seems to expend a majority of its anti-terrorism time and energy pushing reluctant, inept, mostly-incapable people into becoming the bumbling, sacrificial figureheads of ISIS: West.

“The world has enough terrorists. We do not need the police to create more.”

There appears to be no shortage of legitimate (so to speak…) criminal activity for law enforcement to pursue and investigate. And yet, given the choice, they'd rather craft both criminals and criminal activity from the ground up, scoring easy goals against unguarded nets -- making the world a little less safe while ensuring their budgets are never endangered.

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Filed Under: canada, entrapment, own plot, rcmp, terrorism


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  • icon
    That One Guy (profile), 3 Aug 2016 @ 8:30pm

    "We just told them they'd be killed if they didn't obey, what's wrong with that?"

    ...discouraged Nuttall and Korody from seeking outside spiritual guidance and convinced them he was a member of a powerful international terrorist group that would likely kill them if they failed to follow through.

    Funny, I imagine that if anyone without a badge had told someone that they either did X or they'd be killed the one who made the threat would be facing charges, rather than the one on the receiving end of it.

    That bit alone should have been more than enough to completely gut any possible charges against them, the fact that the government is still pushing for charges just shows how desperate they are to rack up another 'win', no matter the cost.

    While it's nice that the judge tossed the case, and hopefully it stays dead, cons like this will continue to happen for so long as those involved receive no punishment. Worst case scenario for the government at this point? They don't get to add another notch on the 'terrorists' busted list.

    If those involved were looking at charges themselves then they might reign in their actions, but until that point the cost/gain analysis is entirely one sided where they have everything to gain, and absolutely nothing to lose, so why not throw the foolish, the desperate or the stupid into the meatgrinder just to score some easy 'wins'?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2016 @ 1:07am

      Re: "We just told them they'd be killed if they didn't obey, what's wrong with that?"

      Those entrapment schemes also strike me as incredibly dangerous. What if their carefully groomed terrorist realizes there was a "mistake" with the bomb design and corrects the mistake before deploying it ahead of time ahead of schedule?

      In that circumstance it would be both just and bitter dark comedy if the terrorist-builders ended up facing charges as well in that circumstance.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Aug 2016 @ 11:20pm

    R. v. Nuttall

    The Courts of British Columbia:
    The Supreme Court of British Columbia [BCSC] is the province's superior trial court.


    Opinion in R v Nutall (BCSC, July 29, 2016).
     

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2016 @ 1:23am

    when this sort of shit is going on in the USA and Canada and probably the UK as well as other places ( the UK cant copy the USA fast enough, no matter what it is!), is it any wonder that real terrorists and criminals dont get caught, in fact get away with 'murder' for years? and yet countries world wide still say they must remove freedom, remove privacy and remove democracy by having every bit of everything from everyone, so as to be able to catch these wrong doers quicker! what an absolute load of bollocks!!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Padpaw (profile), 4 Aug 2016 @ 9:04am

      Re:

      the real terrorists are the ones in charge funding the foreign terrorists secretly so they can justify anti freedom laws against their population because of said terrorism

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2016 @ 9:34am

        Re: Re:

        You just exposed the American government.

        This tactic is an ancient and time honored trick on the unwashed masses of fools and cowards.

        It also works fucking damn good too!

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Mr Big Content, 4 Aug 2016 @ 2:30am

    Arent You Glad This Could Never Happen In Teh USA

    Here in America, we have teh best Justice system in the world, and teh best Political system in the world. And soon, we will have teh best President in the world. His election will represent the ultimate Triumph of American Democracy.

    Those who Hate us, only Hate us for our Freedoms!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Vinquus (profile), 4 Aug 2016 @ 3:20am

    Dudley Do-Right...?

    A nation turns its lonely eyes to you...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    OldGeezer (profile), 4 Aug 2016 @ 5:47am

    Not all cases where the government goes undercover to catch terrorists are complete entrapment. Last year the FBI monitored a web site where a maintenance worker at the Wichita airport expressed a willingness be a suicide bomber and he had access to the gates. He said he could take out several planes while they where boarding. He had bomb making knowledge and about the only thing the agents did was supply him with fake C4. He was arrested after driving the van through the security gate to the tarmac. Had this man made contact with real terrorists he could have pulled it off. I know probably most stings like this are total bullshit but I think in this case they got one right.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Quiet Lurcker, 4 Aug 2016 @ 5:59am

      Re:

      One case against how many instances where both the crime and criminal were built by law enforcement (I can barely even think that last phrase while keeping a straight face lately)?

      Wasn't it in Federalist that the courts were described as being the weakest of the branches because they could only interpret the law - they couldn't make law, they didn't have anyone to enforce their decisions.

      Admittedly, that principle has gone by the wayside today, but I dare say it might be a smart idea to dust it off and reapply it to both the courts and the cops.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2016 @ 6:18am

        Re: Re:

        Wasn't it in Federalist that the courts were described as being the weakest of the branches because they could only interpret the law - they couldn't make law, they didn't have anyone to enforce their decisions.

        Weakest? They have never been the weakest. They do have people to enforce their decisions and interpreting law is effectively creating it... the trick is that they need a victim placed in their sights by law enforcement.

        Once a victim is in the court system... they can be mercilessly fucked in ways the other "stronger branches" never can.

        Never again make the mistake of claiming any branch of government is the weaker one just because one has been flexing more or less than the other recently!

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2016 @ 6:19am

    What does it have to do with technology?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Padpaw (profile), 4 Aug 2016 @ 9:06am

      Re:

      does that really matter in a case like this? or would you prefer to lead a life of blind, deaf and mute to atrocities you witness?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2016 @ 9:49pm

      Re:

      What do supermarkets have to do with copyright?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2016 @ 6:52am

    They want to blend "terrorist" laws with criminal law so that they can beef up the current laws

    But they know they cant simply do that without making the fucking severe lack of respect for human rights obvious........which is why fear mongering is good......for them

    Life is hard, its unfair, its unforgiven......but ill be fucked if im just gonna lie meekly down and, at least, not,take fucking notice of the people taking advantage of something as a species we have to overcome ourselves, let alone fanning the damn flames

    We the conditioned, who have to be told what is right or wrong, instead of we the people who do unto others that which you would want done unto you, your, our, instinctual rights.........natures right..........why does the gazzelle not simply wait for the cheetah to catch him

    Its not HUMAN right, its EARTHS right, its NATURES right.......one, many people in our histories have attempted to transfer into words, ink, law

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2016 @ 6:57am

      Re:

      Broad is the path that leads to destruction and many there shall be that go by it...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 4 Aug 2016 @ 6:56am

    Nothing to see here folks, you've already been conditioned to accept this level of false flagginess

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Ninja (profile), 4 Aug 2016 @ 7:09am

    I'm going to repeat it here and mark myself insightful because it is obvious but goddamn insightful these days:

    “The world has enough terrorists. We do not need the police to create more.”

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Wendy Cockcroft, 5 Aug 2016 @ 5:37am

      Re:

      Can we make this First Word, please? I'm locked out of my account or I'd do it myself. I forgot to change my login details when I folded my web design business.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Padpaw (profile), 4 Aug 2016 @ 9:02am

    police creating terrorism then finding patsy's to take the fall.

    Maybe this is more about paid officials enjoying creating terror than making false flags.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Personanongrata, 4 Aug 2016 @ 11:58am

    Terrorists, Terrorists Everywhere but Nary a Plot to Uncover

    Judge Bruce's statement when tossing the charges should be repeated on this side of the border, where the FBI seems to expend a majority of its anti-terrorism time and energy pushing reluctant, inept, mostly-incapable people into becoming the bumbling, sacrificial figureheads of ISIS: West.

    In order for Judge Bruce's statement to be repeated in the US the pliably supine court jesters genuflecting to the US national security state would need to grow a spine and actually uphold the law and put an end to FBI's terrorist entrapment schemes.


    The Guardian 2011:

    Fake terror plots, paid informants: the tactics of FBI 'entrapment' questioned

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/nov/16/fbi-entrapment-fake-terror-plots

    Rolling Stone article from 2012:

    How FBI Entrapment Is Inventing 'Terrorists' - and Letting Bad Guys Off the Hook

    http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/how-fbi-entrapment-is-inventing-terrorists-and-letting -bad-guys-off-the-hook-20120515

    The Intercept from 2015:

    Why Does the FBI Have to Manufacture its Own Plots if Terrorism and ISIS Are Such Grave Threats?

    https://theintercept.com/2015/02/26/fbi-manufacture-plots-terrorism-isis-grave-threats/

    The worthless propaganda rag known as the New York Times from 2016:

    F.B.I. Steps Up Use of Stings in ISIS Cases

    http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/08/us/fbi-isis-terrorism-stings.html?_r=0

    Fear is a very useful tool in the hands of authoritarian control freaks in government. When people are placed in a perpetual state of fear 24/7/365 they're more likely to willingly surrender their liberties/rights and accept the lies that government, through it's propagandists, puts forth as the unmitigated "truth".

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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