Man who dug trench at Malheur standoff gets year in prison

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A federal judge sentenced a man to a year and a day in federal prison for digging a trench during the 2016 armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Eastern Oregon.

Jake Ryan of Plains, Montana, was found guilty in March 2017 of depredation of government property.

A sentence of probation seemed likely heading into Wednesday’s court appearance, but Ryan tried to fire his public defender, disregarded the authority of court and asserted that U.S. Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams brought false charges on behalf of an imaginary friend, the United States of America.

U.S. District Court Judge Anna Brown described Ryan’s arguments as “gibberish” and imposed a prison term.

The trial in which Ryan was convicted came months after occupation leaders Ammon and Ryan Bundy were found not guilty in a separate trial.