ANCHORAGE, Alaska-As their arraignments in Anchorage looms today, Schaeffer Cox and his three co-defendants have been moved to the south-central city to await their time before a Federal judge.
Originally charged in State Court for charges of plans to kill State Troopers as well as court officials, Schaeffer Cox, Coleman Barney and Lonnie Vernon are now due in Federal Court today on illegal weapons charges. Those include conspiracy to possess or possession of unregistered silencers, destructive devices, and a machine gun; making a silencer, and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.
The original State charges have been dropped as key evidence against them were deemed inadmissible under state law. That evidence was six months of wiretaps. Those wiretaps were obtained without a warrant and so have been tossed out of State Court. Federal law is broader on the issue of wiretaps and so that evidence will remain as the defendants come before Federal court.
Another defendant, Karen Vernon, will stand with her husband, Lonny Vernon, in a separate case. In this case, her and her husband stand accused of plotting to kill a federal judge, members of his family, as well as employees of the IRS.
As they await their court, Karen Vernon is being held at Highland Mountain Correctional Center in Eagle River while her husband, Lonny, and Coleman Barney are being held at the Anchorage Jail. Schaeffer Cox is being housed at the Cook Inlet Pretrial facility.