-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- the charges of intimidating an IRS agent are felonies the stinkbomb charge in a federal building is a felony the tax evasion charges are felonies virtually all federal felonies start with 5 years and increase from there. federal misdemeanors have a sentence limitation of 1 year less 1 day. under the sentencing guidelines, it is difficult for the judge to hand down less than the specified guideline unless a deal has been cut --big time, I would say in this case. the prosecutor and public defender agreed on one year, but probation and parole asked for two years -therefore the plea bargained charge was a felony. secondly, the Feds almost always file the charge itself, plus a separate charge of conspiracy (even if they do call the rest of the conspirators "unknown") which carries the same time as the act of commission. you can rack up some serious time with Fed charges which do not seem like much until they multiple count the indictment and add conspiracy. given the exposure of this case, etc. there was a deal cut someplace. frankly, I would rather do 3 years inside instead of "highly supervised" tail --some asshole social worker cum parole officer that can literally tell you when you can shit; if he tells you to start polishing the apple, you best be getting on your knees and get on with it. you have more rights in federal prison than you do with a PO and his inferiority or dogooder complex --either way, you are his victim. personally, I think Bell was lucky --or he rolled over and the fruits of his loose tongue will start new lives for new political prisoners of the U.S. gestapo. I'll put my money on the rollover. too many unanswered questions; books returned marked "not a prisoner"; writing a letter acknowledging he was a "bad person"; and all that good stuff. Bell just snitched out; he doesn't look like the type that would do well under pressure. maybe a lot of bark, but no bite to tell the man to fuck off. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.3i Charset: latin1 Comment: No safety this side of the grave. Never was; never will be iQBVAwUBNJSp2rR8UA6T6u61AQHsOAH9GXK+cHv91438Cmr9INsDCCEIbpWL9YO6 HDsWygSXSIWftoQl0+SFUL7/6mcjPlxt7N5nTlCub4zA0JQZYEHq2w== =GPPA -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----