Marie Mason

Marie Mason
According to the BOP, as of August 6, 2010 Marie has been transferred to the Federal Medical Center in Texas. Her new contact information is:

MARIE JEANETTE MASON #04672-061
FMC Carswell
Federal Medical Center
P.O. Box 27137
Fort Worth, TX 76127

Personal Background

Marie Mason is a 46 year old mother of two. She lived and worked in the Detroit area for most of her life. Like the late Earth First! (EF!) organizer, Judi Bari, she was part of a generation of radicals who worked to link the environmental and labor movements, and was jointly active in both EF! and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). It was this alliance which led to the initial success of the anti-globalization movement such as at the 1999 anti-WTO demonstration in Seattle. Mason was an editor of the Industrial Worker, the IWW newspaper, and a musician who recorded a neo-folk album, Not For Profit, with fellow EF!er Darryl Cherney in 1999. She also worked with numerous political as well as traditional charity groups.

In addition to her work with the IWW and Earth First!, she is also an avid community gardener, a musician, a writer, and a volunteer for a free herbal healthcare collective. She also was an extended care assistant at a small Cincinnati school when she was arrested on March 10, 2008 by federal agents.

She has been charged with involvement with a December,1999 arson at a Michigan State University genetics laboratory at Agriculture Hall and a January, 2000 arson of logging equipment in Mesick, Michigan. Both arsons were claimed by the Earth Liberation Front.

Legal Case

Government Monitors and Harasses Marie

In the years preceding Marie’s arrest, she and her husband at the time, Frank Ambrose, had been questioned multiple times by authorities, summoned to grand juries, and forced to surrender DNA evidence; at one point authorities attempted to affix a GPS tracking unit to Mason’s car.

Husband Turns Informant

In early 2007, Frank Ambrose became an informant with the FBI.  He began traveling throughout the Midwest spying on activists and tape recording their conversations with a concealed wire.  He filed for a divorce the day that Marie was arrested.  He even tried to entrap other activists with emails he circulated and has now offered to give workshops to law enforcement on topics such as the Earth Liberation Front and security culture.  He is currently serving nine years in prison.

Green Scare

Marie is currently serving the longest sentence of any environmental activist in the US.  Her charges are part of the Green Scare, a trend by the government of labeling environmental direct action as “eco-terrorism” despite the acts ensuring that no life, human or otherwise, is being harmed.  In addition to labeling environmental activists both publicly and legally as “terrorists,” the government also charges activists with inflated sentences.  In Marie’s case, she was facing a life sentence.  She decided to plea guilty and is now serving nearly 22 years in prison.

Plea Agreement

Unlike many Green Scare arrestees, Marie was never given the option of a full non-cooperating plea agreement by the government, which would have allowed her to plea guilty without implicating others.  Instead she faced either the original life sentence or a reduced sentence on the condition that she confirm statements that her husband turned FBI informant, Frank Ambrose, had already stated.

Because she would not be offering any new evidence implicating other activists, Marie decided to take the plea.

Mason eventually admitted to committing 14 acts of property destruction together. One of these actions, an attempt to destroy the Nestle-owned Ice Mountain bottled water pumping station, had always been denied by Mason, and activists close to her speculate that she was forced to accept guilt for it in order to accept the plea bargain. (It is a common police tactic to force defendants to accept blame for unsolved crimes in order to close investigations.)

Marie’s Sentence

Mason accepted a plea bargain for 15–20 years, but Chief US District Judge Paul L. Maloney sentenced her to 21 years and 10 months and ordered restitution of $4.1 million to the sites damaged by her acts. Part of Mason’s plea agreement stipulated that she had to accept the so-called Terrorism Enhancement designation, which provided for broad discretion in sentencing. (Before the sentencing, people close to Mason speculated that she might receive as long as 30 years.) The judge was able to consider the 12 other actions Mason admitted to (but was not being charged with) for the purpose of her sentencing.

Life in Prison

The Waseca Prison authorities have denied Marie a vegan diet.  She is currently in the appeals process to try and have her diet honored.

Support

Media