After Liberal Sabotages Major Oil Pipeline – Federal Judge Drops the Gavel on Her With 6 Years in Prison and Millions in Fines
The climate issue is a priority for most left-wing leaders in the country, as most are pushing hard for renewable energy and an overarching “green” agenda.
However, their followers can go too far with their protesting of fossil fuels. We’ve seen rioters descend on various pipelines across the country (and the world) in recent years, and things can get out of hand.
But one court just sent a strong message — this won’t be tolerated.
Back in 2016, Ruby Katherine Montoya took a cutting torch to the Dakota Access pipeline, setting fire to the equipment and ultimately destroying a portion of it. She wasn’t alone in the plot, either.
Montoya worked with Jessica Reznicek to sabotage the pipeline and equipment used to repair it. This included setting a bulldozer ablaze, as well as damaging a variety of other heavy machinery.
Reznicek received her punishment – 8 years in prison – back in 2021, after pleading guilty to similar charges.
And now, we learn that Montoya won’t be getting off much lighter. In fact, though she’ll spend less time in jail, there’s a giant financial penalty for her criminal behavior.
Via The Daily Wire (citing an AP report):
An Arizona woman who sabotaged the Dakota Access pipeline and set fire to equipment to protest the controversial project was sentenced by a federal judge Thursday to six years in prison.
Ruby Katherine Montoya, 32, who used a cutting torch to damage the oil pipeline in Iowa in 2016 and destroyed equipment over the next year, was also ordered to pay $3.2 million in restitution.
The pipeline was completed in 2017 but while it was being built, many protesters tried to stop it. This was similar to what the Keystone XL pipeline faced before President Joe Biden ended its construction.
As for the ruling, it’s a heavy punishment and it sends a strong message.
Said U.S. Attorney General Richard Westphal:
The sentence imposed today demonstrates that any crime of domestic terrorism will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted by the federal government.
Those against fossil fuels claim the pipelines pose a danger of oil spills, and landowners aren’t always big on the government using eminent domain to seize their property.
However, those on the other side say pipelines are far safer than moving oil by rail, and the pipelines create thousands of jobs and gives U.S. energy independence (which it currently does not have).
Former President Donald Trump tried to keep America oil-independent by using our domestic resources, but Biden’s green agenda has taken over.
As a result, oil and gas prices have risen steeply, also driven partly by the Russia/Ukraine conflict. And many critics say it’s impossible and illogical to simply stop all fossil fuel usage immediately.
If people want to protest it, that’s their right — but when it comes to destroying government property, this decision proves the consequences will be significant.
Key Takeaways:
- A court sentenced a Dakota Access pipeline saboteur to 6 years in federal prison, and a $3.2 million fine.
- She’s guilty of destroying parts of the pipeline, as well as equipment used to work on it.
- U.S. Attorney General Richard Westphal said the sentence proves “any crime of domestic terrorism will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted.”
Source: The Daily Wire