America’s Political Prisoners

There is rising consciousness about the abusive and corrupt behavior of the FBI due to its treatment of members of Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.

Figures like Michael Flynn, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen were all entrapped in a conspiracy by federal agents seeking to overthrow the duly elected president of the United States. The saga has led to calls in conservative publications to break up the FBI and investigate the extent of their abuses against Americans whose political views they do not approve of. 

Fortunately for Flynn, Cohen, and likely Stone, they are now being provided redress. The Department of Justice’s decision to drop the Flynn case is welcome. Michael Cohen and Manafort have been released from prison and will be spending the rest of their sentences under house arrest. Roger Stone, while still battling in court, will likely figure a way out. 

But not all people being railroaded and tortured in solitary confinement by the FBI can count the president of the United States as a personal friend.

Below is a list of American political prisoners subjected to similar treatment, with background information and their most up to date addresses for writing them. 

1) Jacob Scott Goodwin – 1931215
Augusta correctional center
1821 Estaline Vallet Rd, Craigsville, VA, 24430

Jacob Scott Goodwin attended the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

Goodwin and other men had been expelled from Lee Park and obeyed the Charlottesville police’s state of emergency order. He was returning to his car in a parking lot, but was followed by a gang of armed blacks led by Harris. Harris was photographed carrying a weapon shortly before the brawl, which he then used to begin attacking people, including beating an elderly person over the head until he fell to the ground. 

The media portrayed the melee as a random racially motivated attack, and in spite of all the exculpatory evidence, Goodwin was sentenced in 2018 to a shocking 8 year sentence. 

2) Daniel Patrick Borden – 1920347
Dillwyn Correctional Center
1522 Prison Rd, Dillwyn, VA, 23936

3) Alex Michael Ramos – 1917415
Greensville Correctional Center
901 Corrections Way, Jarratt, VA, 23870

Borden and Ramos were also convicted for defending themselves against Deandre Harris and his gang. Borden was sentenced to 4 years in prison, while Ramos, who notably only threw a single punch at Harris, was sentenced to 6 years. 

4) Richard Wilson Preston – 1916593
Coffeewood Correctional Center
12352 Coffeewood Dr, Mitchells, VA, 22729

Richard Wilson Preston also attended the 2017 Unite the Right march. Preston was convicted of discharging a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school — a procedural crime when looking at the context.

A video of the incident shows clearly what happened. After the state of emergency was announced, nationalist demonstrators began to leave the park.

A black man named Corey Long was filmed waiting for the marchers at the exit with a flamethrower, which Preston then responded to by firing a warning shot to scare him away, saving countless young men from being maimed or killed. Preston, faced with a possible sentence of 10 years, pleaded to no contest and was sentenced to 8 years instead. 

5) Benjamin Drake Daley – 77036-112
FCI Sheridan
Federal Correctional Institution 
P.O. Box 5000
Sheridan, OR, 97378

Benjamin Drake Daley was a small business owner in California who attended the 2017 Unite the Right rally. Federal agents raided his home in 2018 and slapped him and his martial arts club, the Rise Above Movement, with rarely used “conspiracy to riot” charges, based largely on accusations from “antifa” blogs and a documentary by Wall Street funded firm ProPublica.

One piece of evidence used by federal prosecutors to make their case was the supposed “assault” of Don Gathers. Footage from the incident shows Don Gathers attacking Daley, who used self-defense in response. This was of no consequence to politically motivated prosecutor Thomas Cullen. 

Members of RAM prosecuted under similar “rioting” charges in California were released by Judge Cormac Carney, who ruled that the statutes were unconstitutional, Nevertheless, Daley was sentenced to 37 months in prison by a Virginia court. 

6) Michael Paul Miselis – 77038-112
FCI Herlong
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 800
Herlong, CA, 96113

Michael Miselis was a UCLA doctoral student in aerospace engineering who also attended the 2017 Unite the Right Rally. His dreams and aspirations as a Northrop Grumman engineer were dashed when federal agents stormed his home. 

Miselis was charged alongside Daley under the same statutes ruled unconstitutional in California. He was sentenced to 27 months in prison, despite having no criminal record. 

7) Thomas Walter Gillen 77035-112
FCI Manchester
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 4000
Manchester, KY, 40962

Thomas Gillen was another accused member of RAM, prosecuted for the same unconstitutional “crimes” as Miselis and Daley by the FBI. He is currently serving his 33 month sentence. 

8) Joffre Cross III – 023211057
Geo Joe Corley 
500 Hilbig Rd
Conroe, TX 77301

Joffre Cross III, a Texan and a nationalist, was swarmed by FBI agents for two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a kevlar vest. Cross was previously convicted for an alleged illegal sale of body armor in 2007.

The FBI used video of Cross allegedly firing a rifle at a gun range as their evidence. The FBI found Cross’ large collection of World War II memorabilia and posed it for the media to make it look like they had arrested a would-be “white supremacist terrorist.” 

Cross, who does not have the money to fight in a federal case, was forced to plead guilty. He will be sentenced on May 27th. 

Bookmark this link, as we will continue to update this list with the most current information for writing these men. 

 

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