2 men charge in Utah arsons

Two men have been charged in federal court for alleged acts of eco-terrorism — arson fires in West Jordan and Provo — but plea agreements expected in both cases were put on hold Tuesday.

Justus Ireland, 23, and Joshua Demmitt, 19, both face one count of destruction of property by fire.

Ireland is accused of starting a June fire at Stock Building Supply in West Jordan that caused more than $1.5 million in damages. Demmitt has been charged in an arson fire at Ellsworth Farms, an animal husbandry center at Brigham Young University.

In both fires, the arsonists left behind the spray-painted acronyms of two groups of environmental activists well-known for engaging in acts of vandalism and arson. The letters ELF, the acronym of the Earth Liberation Front, were found at the Stock fire and ALF, for Animal Liberation Front, was found at BYU.

"We could not be more pleased today," U.S. Attorney Paul Warner said Tuesday in announcing the arrests. "Both of these cases represent acts of domestic terrorism.

"The message that I think we are sending today and I hope that it is being heard loud and clear, and that is terrorism is terrorism, be it international terrorism or domestic terrorism. And the message from law enforcement is if you commit these acts, we will find out who you are, we will hunt you down, we will prosecute you and you will spend a very long time in federal prison."

Warner might have been more pleased, however, if Ireland and Demmitt had entered the guilty pleas that were expected in U.S. District Court on Tuesday morning. Instead, both cases were continued pending consultation with defense counsels.

Demmitt, who is presently free on his own recognizance, is scheduled to return to court to enter a plea Oct. 5 at 8 a.m. Ireland's hearing was continued until 9 a.m., Oct. 26.

The charges filed against Demmitt, of Provo, come as no real surprise. His name appears in court documents filed in the case of Harrison Burrows, who stated he and Demmitt acted together in setting the BYU fire and in three other acts of vandalism on campus leading up to the July 8 fire.

Burrows, 18, has pleaded guilty to one count of destruction by property and will be sentenced in January 2005. Under federal law, the arson charge carries a minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.