CDR: Wired article on Jim Bell, links to search warrant and photo

[Declan McCullagh]

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,40102,00.html

    IRS Raids Cypherpunk's House
    by Declan McCullagh (declan at wired.com)
    2:00 a.m. Nov. 11, 2000 PST

    WASHINGTON -- When a dozen armed federal agents invaded Jim Bell's
    home this week, he wasn't exactly surprised.

    Ever since Bell, a cypherpunk whom the U.S. government has dubbed a
    techno-terrorist, was released from prison in April, he's predicted
    another confrontation with the Feds.

    "They're basically trying to harass me," Bell said in a telephone
    interview. He has not been arrested or charged with a crime.

    In 1996, Bell attracted the unwelcome attention of the IRS and the
    U.S. Secret Service after they learned he was talking up a plan to
    promote the assassination of miscreant bureaucrats through an unholy
    mix of encryption, anonymity and digital cash. Bell even gave his
    scheme a catchy title: "Assassination Politics."

    Four years, three arrests and one plea-bargain later, Bell was
    released from the medium-security federal penitentiary in Phoenix,
    Arizona. Since then, he's been busy trying to prove allegations of
    illegal surveillance on the part of the Feds, including his charge
    that they unlawfully bugged his home.

    For Bell, that meant spending the last six months compiling personal
    information about IRS and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
    agents, a move that appears to have led to the six-hour search of his
    home in Vancouver, Washington.

    Government offices were closed on Friday, and representatives were
    unavailable for comment. But the agents' search warrant cites
    "evidence of violations" of a federal law that prohibits intimidation
    of IRS agents.

    [...]

***********

I've included links to the original documents in this article:

http://www.cluebot.com/article.pl?sid=00/11/11/101218&mode=nested

    Feds Raid Cypherpunk Jim Bell
    posted by declan on Saturday November 11, @05:58AM
    from the now-who-saw-this-coming? dept.

    Crypto-convict Jim Bell, best known for popularizing the idea
    of offing Feds through anonymity, encryption, and digital cash,
    was raided this week by the IRS and BATF. He has not been arrested and
    is irate, vengeful, and computer-less, but otherwise fine. This
    happened just half a year after he was released from prison. We've
    placed JPGs online of the search warrant, vehicle search warrant,
    justification, and list of items taken. Note the justification
    includes items related to his "Assassination Politics" scheme. We also
    offer some background and a surprisingly flattering color slide photo
    I took of Bell.

*********

Photo:
http://www.mccullagh.org/image/9/jim-bell-3.html