Militia Activist Avoids Some Jail Time, Faces Grand Jury
In October, Dave Burgert, the alleged leader of Kalispell militia group Project 7, pleaded guilty to felony bail jumping. His guilty plea was part of an agreement that resulted in charges of assaulting and obstructing an officer being dropped. The agreement may keep Burgert from serving jail time for bail jumping. However, Burgert still faces indictments from a federal grand jury.
While awaiting trial on various charges, Burgert jumped bail earlier this year. He engaged in a standoff with authorities when he was tracked down. The subsequent investigation uncovered Project 7, a militia cell. Law enforcement discovered a cache of weapons, up to 30,000 rounds of ammunition, and "intelligence sheets" listing personal information on local law officers. Some have referred to the intelligence sheets as hit lists.
The latest developments result from Burgert's combative history with law enforcement. He has already been sentenced to one year in prison for obstructing an officer and resisting arrest in another altercation with police. He is appealing this decision. The charges that were dropped in October stemmed from a melee involving Burgert, Robert Cesnik, and law officers. A sheriff's deputy said he couldn't be sure if the punch he received from Burgert was intentional. The plea agreement recommends no jail time for Burgert on the bail jumping charge, and the formal sentencing was set for December 18. Cesnik received a one-year suspended sentence for assaulting the sheriff's deputy.
Burgert still faces more charges. The press has reported that Burgert faces a grand jury indictment on federal firearms charges. One charge is for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and the other is for possessing an illegal machine gun. Burgert had the machine gun with him during the standoff with law enforcement earlier this year. The charges could send him to jail for up to 20 years and result in a fine of up to $260,000.