Pensacola, Fla. - United States Attorney Gregory R. Miller, Northern District of Florida, and Ralph C. Ostrowski, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Tampa Field Division announced today that JAMES ERNEST LUCKIE, 48, of Century, Florida, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Lacey A. Collier to serve 44 years and 1month in federal prison, followed by five years supervised release, for his use of a destructive device in an attempt to destroy a trailer owned by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). LUCKIE was also fined $15,000 and ordered to make restitution to FEMA. On March 8, 2005, James Ernest LUCKIE was arrested by the Escambia County Sheriff's Office after he threw a destructive device, in the form of a "Molotov Cocktail," into a FEMA trailer, occupied by seven people, including children, in Century, Florida. Miraculously, no one was injured. On May 18, 2005, LUCKIE was indicted by the federal grand jury in Pensacola on a three-count indictment, which charged LUCKIE with Attempting to Destroy Property of the United States by Means of Fire, Use of a Destructive Device in furtherance of a Federal Crime of Violence, and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, namely a "Molotov Cocktail," all within the Northern District of Florida. On July 14, 2005, LUCKIE pleaded guilty to all three counts of the indictment. This prosecution was pursued as part of a joint Federal, State, and County investigation, which included officers and investigators from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO), ATF, and the Florida State Fire Marshal's Office. The case was part of an initiative to protect the public and reduce violent crime through the enforcement of federal laws and regulations regarding explosives and arson. Assistant United States Attorney Edwin Knight represented the government in this successful prosecution.
44 years? for a bottle of fuel and and a rag? I guess that is called "making and example" out of this guy. What would he have gotten if he used a bull dozer? Just a destruction of government property charge?
"occupied by seven people, including children"...huh?...no attempted murder charges...not even assault? I wonder if there really were people in that trailer....maybe the newspaper or the "blackcoats" added that little tidbit to further vilify Luckie.
They just didn't bother to add them (attempted murder charges) to the indictment as the ones they were sure to get them on held higher penalties. He might have gotten 5-10 or less for the attempted murder charge ... pretty damn sad.
