The Montana man accused of taking part in the armed occupation of an Oregon wildlife refuge earlier this year has been released into his parents’ custody in Plains while awaiting trial.
Jake Edward Ryan is restricted from traveling outside of Plains and must not leave his parents’ house between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. He is scheduled to stand trial in federal court in Portland, Oregon in September.
Ryan, 25, is accused of disturbing a sacred burial site by digging latrines for protestors at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge during a month-long standoff with federal agents earlier this year. Ryan was the 26th person charged publicly following the armed standoff. He faces charges of conspiracy to impede officers of the United States, possession of firearms and dangerous weapons in a federal facility and depredation of government property.
The group that took over the wildlife refuge was protesting federal land restrictions and the imprisonment of two local ranchers who were convicted of burning government grasslands.
In March, an arrest warrant was issued for Ryan’s arrest and many believed he was hiding out in Sanders County. Soon after, Ryan’s family issued a statement on social media stating that the man would not turn himself in and that “the arrests stop here.” The family’s position had local law enforcement worried that anti-government protestors would converge on Sanders County; Sheriff Tom Rummel urged Ryan’s supporters to stay put, saying their arrival would only “complicate” matters.
In April, authorities found Ryan sleeping in a stranger’s shed in Clark County, Washington. When he was discovered he had a loaded .45-caliber handgun and several knives, according to the Associated Press.
Ryan was booked in a Portland jail and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Since then, his public defender has argued that Ryan should be released because he was not violent. Federal prosecutors disagreed though, and stated that he was a flight risk.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Papek decided to release Ryan on June 2. Under the conditions of release, Ryan must remain in Plains and cannot leave the community without receiving permission from U.S. Pretrial Services. He must find and maintain gainful employment and cannot have access to weapons. Ryan must wear a location monitoring device at all times and he cannot have any contract with people involved with the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation or others in the “Patriot Movement.”
Ryan and the other defendants are expected to go to trial starting Sept. 7.