Energy activist gets 2 years in prison for oil auction fraud
Tim DeChristopher, the face of an environmental movement that objects to oil and gas companies and Wall Street speculators, was sentenced to two years in prison by the Salt Lake City federal courthouse.
His trial and sentencing was based on a direct action at the end of the Bush administration where he acted as a bidder at an oil and gas auction. Despite the auction being deemed fraudulent later on, DeChristopher was still held accountable for his action, according a report by The Guardian.
The sentence on Tuesday marked the end of the activist-turned-environmental-folk-hero’s doomed battle with the federal court — he was taken into custody immediately, denying him the typical 3 weeks of putting his affairs in order. He also has to pay a $10,000 fine for disrupting federal oil and gas auctions.
08/02/2011