Howard Mechanic

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Howard Mechanic (a.k.a. Gary Tredway) was an undergraduate at Washington University in St. Louis who was accused of hurling a cherry bomb into the university's ROTC building in May 1970, accusations that he denied. He was charged under the Civil Obedience Act of 1968, and was sentenced to prison. During his appeals, he fled and lived under the assumed name of Gary Tredway in Scottsdale, Arizona for thirty years, but his identity as Howard Mechanic became known when he ran for local office. He was imprisoned but received a pardon by President Bill Clinton in January 2001.