Fourth Defendant Pleads in BWCAW Terror Case
4 Jun
Jay Andrew Olson, 20, of Ely, Minnesota, became the fourth defendant to plead guilty to charges stemming from an August, 2007 incident where six local moterboaters allegedly terrorized campers in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
You can read a comprehensive story on the case HERE, from the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Olson, as the operator of one of the two boats involved and allegedly the organizer of the outing, faces imprisonment for his actions. Olson and five others, including one minor, are said to have fired weapons and fireworks from their boats and yelled profanity and threats at campers on Basswood Lake.
Previously, Zachary Barton, 20, Travis Erzar, 20, and Casey Fenske, 19, pleaded guilty to roles in the incident. Cases against the minor and Barney James Lakner, 38, are still pending. Lakner is expected to stand trial in September.
For some background on lingering local resentments toward the Boundary Waters wilderness, which appear to have played a role in the incident, we recommend THIS Star Tribune story written shortly after the incident.
