OKANOGAN COUNTY, WA – James and Angela Faire have been under attack for 16 long months by an out of control prosecutor in Okanogan County, Washington. James is currently forced to pay $640 a month for an extremely restrictive ankle bracelet since gaining release by having his bail greatly reduced. He has been repeatedly harassed by those who administer this monitoring device. Both James and Angela are under the constant threat of being sent to a prison cell for crimes they factually did not commit and the worst part of this tragedy is that all of the state’s witnesses have been questioned and there is not one shred of evidence against them – the state’s witnesses have actually become defense witnesses, which is readily determined by the content of the interviews. Okanogan County prosecutor Karl Sloan was present at the depositions of the state’s witnesses and in possession of all witness statements.
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
On September 29, 2016, James (Strat) Faire filed a motion for dismissal (Knapstad motion) with the Okanogan County Superior Court for the State of Washington. In the motion, Faire moves the Court for an order dismissing the charge of First Degree Felony Murder against him. The hearing on this motion is scheduled for Friday, October 28, 2016, in the Okanogan County Courthouse.
The US~Observer has obtained documents which have been filed with the court and has learned that the state's witnesses, Richard Alan Finegold, George Abrantes, Michael St. Pierre and Ruth Brooks admitted to either knowingly or unknowingly, actively engaging in a plot to ambush James and Angela (Nobilis) Faire on June 18, 2015 at the Sourdough Ranch located in Tonasket, WA.
STATING THE FACTS
Attorney Stephen Pidgeon
Earlier this year, Okanogan County Prosecutor Karl Sloan, Defense Attorneys Stephen Pidgeon and Richard Gilliland and Defense Investigator Bill Banks interviewed Ruth Brooks, Michael St. Pierre and Richard Alan Finegold. The interviews of Ruth Brooks and Michael St. Pierre have been transcribed and are now part of the case record. Furthermore, the transcripts of the police statement made by George Abrantes and Boyd MacPherson have been entered into the record.
STATE'S WITNESS MAKES A FALSE POLICE REPORT
On the evening of June 17, 2015, Richard Alan Finegold knowingly and intentionally bears false testimony against James and Angela Faire to the Okanogan County Sheriff's office in order to orchestrate a criminal prosecution for burglary. Records of the 9-1-1 call made are as follows:
RICHARD FINEGOLD: Yes, hi there. I'd like to report a, uh, break-in.
911 DISPATCHER: a break-in?
RICHARD FINEGOLD: Uh, yeah a break-in.
With his untrue statement, Finegold set the stage with his false police report to enable Debra Long and her cabal to entrap and attack James and Angela the following day. Finegold lied and the police swallowed his lie, hook, line and sinker.
Top: George Abrantes, Richard Finegold
Bottom: Michael St. Pierre, Ruth Brooks
According to testimony given by Ruth Brooks and Michael St. Pierre, the house was locked when Finegold arrived, and he had keys which unlocked the house and allowed for his entry. They found no evidence of any break-in of any sort. Finegold gave the statement with the intent that the County Sheriff should rely on the statement, even though Finegold knew it was false at the time he gave it. Court documents indicate Finegold stated, “In April, 2015, Strat and Angela left the Stanwood Property in Stanwood and took up residence in Lake Stevens, Washington.” In the State of Washington, it is a gross misdemeanor to make a false or misleading statement to a public official (RCW 9A.76.175).
STATE'S WITNESSES ADMIT INTENT TO AMBUSH, DETAIN AND CAUSE HARM
Ruth Brooks stated that upon learning James and Angela Faire were en-route to the property, Debra Long instructed her and Richard Alan Finegold to hide two vehicles out of view. When asked if it was the intent to make sure the vehicles were not visible from the driveway Brooks said, “I think that was the intent, yes.”
Brooks goes on to state that she and the others waited 30 – 40 minutes for James and Angela to arrive on the property. Upon the arrival of James and Angela, Ruth Brooks states that George Abrantes left the house carrying a link of chain with a padlock attached to it. Brooks gives the following testimony:
“Michael [St. Pierre] was on the right-hand side of the vehicle, the passenger side. George Abrantes was on the driver's side and Debra was in front of the vehicle to prevent James and Angela from leaving. It got loud, it got escalated and George [Abrantes] had the chain with the lock on it and he started banging the chain on the [truck] window and yelling. Michael [St. Pierre] was yelling from the other side.”
On June 19, 2015, George Abrantes gives a police statement at which time he said, “I had a lock on a chain. I was trying to smash the driver's side window so I could pull him [James Faire] off the wheel.” It is important to note that all of this occurred before Debra Long was caught underneath Faire’s vehicle – before she died as she and her gang were committing felony crimes against James and Angela Faire.
STATE'S WITNESS COMMIT ACT OF KIDNAPPING
Pursuant to RCW 9A.40.020, Kidnapping in the first degree is defined as:
(1) A person is guilty of kidnapping in the first degree if he or she intentionally abducts another person with intent:
(a) To hold him or her for ransom or reward, or as a shield or hostage; or
(b) To facilitate commission of any felony or flight thereafter; or
(c) To inflict bodily injury on him or her; or
(d) To inflict extreme mental distress on him, her, or a third person; or
(e) To interfere with the performance of any governmental function.
(2) Kidnapping in the first degree is a class A felony.
RCW 9A.040.10(1) defines “abduct” as “to restrain a person by either (a) secreting or holding him or her in a place where he or she is not likely to be found, or (b) using or threatening to use deadly force.” Furthermore, RCW 9A.040.10(6)(a) "Restrain" means to restrict a person's movements without consent and without legal authority in a manner which interferes substantially with his or her liberty. Restraint is "without consent" if it is accomplished by (a) physical force, intimidation, or deception.
James and Angela Faire were surrounded on three sides of the truck they traveled in. As described by Ruth Brooks, Michael St. Pierre and Boyd McPherson, Debra Long orchestrated an ambush and actively restrained James and Angela Faire from leaving the Sourdough property prior to and during the time when George Abrantes smashed the truck they were driving with a heavy chain and padlock. By his own admission, George Abrantes had the intent of smashing out the driver's window in order to pull James Faire from the wheel.
Prosecutor Karl Sloan
Justice requires the truth and, in this case the state has resisted bringing the truth, the facts and evidence to light. An innocent James (Strat) Faire spent eight months in jail; most of this time without legal representation. When blatant injustice like this occurs, no one is safe from the broken and corrupt justice system. Join James in his fight for justice. Legal expenses are accruing; please consider a donation so that an honorable and innocent man can clear his name and regain his life.
Editor’s
Note: Once we first published the truth in this case to the citizens
of Okanogan County, WA, we started receiving volumes of calls and emails
alerting us to other abuses people have suffered there at the hands
of Prosecutor Karl Sloan. We have since taken on other cases wherein
Sloan is trying to convict at all costs - even if the person he claims
is guilty is factually innocent. The US~Observer will be involved in
Okanogan County for as long as it takes to make this Prosecutor either
pursue justice, or be voted out of office because the people deserve
better. Every day Sloan continues his prosecutions against the innocent,
the US~Observer continues digging deeper into his actions as well as
those who assist him.
Anyone with information regarding Prosecutor Karl Sloan, his brother, Detective Kreg Sloan, George Abrantes, Richard Finegold or anyone else involved in this case is urged to contact Edward Snook at 541-474-7885 or by email to editor@usobserver.com. Be responsible – help us pursue justice – help us hold out of control prosecutors and police officers accountable.
This is a continuing
investigation. Previous articles which can be read online at usobserver.com include: