Ron Cole

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Ron David Cole is a former member of the Branch Davidians and a figure in the militia movement in the United States. He is the founder and leader of the Colorado Light Infantry and North American Liberation Army militia groups. Cole is the author of the pro-Branch Davidians book Sinister Twilight, within he claims his task is to complete the mission David Koresh failed to fulfill. Cole sought to become an anti-government figure after the events of the Waco siege, however his group was only three strong.^[1]

In 1994, he met with the notorious domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh prior to the Oklahoma City bombing.^[2] In 1997 at McVeigh's trial, Cole handed out leaflets demanding fair treatment for McVeigh, as well as news releases for the North American Liberation Army. He also spoke to the media about alleged harassment of paramilitary group members by law enforcement.^[3]

Also in 1994, Cole was involved in a violent incident at the site of the destroyed Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. A standoff occurred between self-proclaimed leaders of the remnants of the sect over who had control of the property. Cole and a former Davidian Wally Kennett were accompanying Andrew Hood, a man who some Davidians had sought out for leadership. Their party became embroiled in an argument with Amo Bishop Roden, the wife of former Davidian leader George Roden, she then fired a warning shot into the air. Roden was charged with felony deadly conduct, and Kennet and Cole were charged with weapons violations.^[4]

In 1997 Cole and three other militia members were arrested by federal agents and local officers in response to criminal warrant alleging they possessed a pipe bomb in their rental house in Aurora, Colorado.^[5] In 1998 Cole plead guilty in a plea bargain to four federal counts of illegally possessing machine guns. The weapons were a 9mm Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun, a .308 caliber Heckler & Koch Model 91, a .223-caliber Olympic Arms PCF CAR-15-type assault rifle and a 9mm Action Arms Uzi machine pistol.^[6] In response Cole said "They're trying to make me look like a terrorist because I criticize them publicly." Lee Hill, a defense attorney who represented the left wing icon Leonard Peltier, said "They made an example of him."^[1]

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