FILE-Wesley Thomas, the step father of Tiffany York, is tackled by courtroom security during the hearing of defendant Sgt. Anthony Peden at Long County Superior Court, Thursday Aug. 30, 2012, in Ludowici, Ga. District Attorney Tom Durden announced in court that he will seek the death penalty for Peden, Pvt. Isaac Aguigui, and Pvt. Christopher Salmon. The three Fort Stewart soldiers are accused of malice murder, felony murder and criminal gang activity in the Dec. 4 slayings of former soldier Michael Roark and his girlfriend, 17-year-old Tiffany York. The two were found shot to death off a dirt road near the Army post. Prosecutors say the accused men were part of a militia operating within the U.S. Army that was stockpiling weapons and wanted to overthrow the federal government. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)
A Liberty County grand jury indicted the five on charges of illegal gang activity and various counts involving theft, burglary and auto-break ins. Those crimes were committed to help fund the militia group, which called itself F.E.A.R., short for Forever Enduring Always Ready, District Attorney Tom Durden said Tuesday.
"The burglaries and entering autos, they were committed in an effort to fund F.E.A.R. and what F.E.A.R. was at least advocating they wanted to accomplish," said Durden, the top prosecutor for southeast Georgia's Atlantic Judicial Circuit.
The new indictments Monday bring to 10 the total number of people charged in connection with the militia group.
Four Army soldiers from neighboring Fort Stewart are charged with murder in the December slayings of former soldier Michael Roark and his teenage girlfriend, Tiffany York. Prosecutors say Roak was buying guns for the militia group and was killed, along with York, after he left the Army in order to protect the group and its plots. A wife of one of the soldiers has also been charged in the slayings.
Durden said Tuesday he's been told none of the five men charged in the latest indictments were still serving in the Army on active duty, but at least three of them had served in the military.
Only one of the new indictments was related to the double slaying. A man identified as Christopher Jenderseck was charged with evidence tampering. Durden said he had helped the accused soldiers burn clothing they had worn during the killings of Roark and York, who were found shot to death in some woods near Fort Stewart.
The men charged with gang violations and other criminal counts were identified as Adam Dearman, Timothy Joiner, Randall Blake Dearman and Anthony Garner. It was not immediately known if they had hired attorneys.
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