Bond revoked for ‘NATO 3’ protester
BY MICHAEL LANSU June 1, 2012 7:42PM
Brent Vincent Betterly
Updated: June 1, 2012 7:50PM
One of the “NATO 3” protesters facing terrorism charges in Chicago had his bond revoked Friday after a warrant was issued for his arrest for violating terms of his bail in a pending case in Florida.
Brent Vincent Betterly was being held in Cook County Jail on a $1.5 million bond until Friday, when Judge Edward S. Harmening revoked bond because of an arrest warrant issued in Broward County, Fla., Cook County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Frank Bilecki said.
Betterly’s Florida attorney, Andrew Coffey, said Broward County officials issued a no-bail burglary warrant because the Chicago arrest violated conditions of his bond on charges of breaking into a school and having a pool party.
Broward County officials contacted Chicago Police and the Cook County Sheriff’s office became involved, Bilecki said. Lillian McCartin, Betterly’s attorney in the Chicago case, said she did not know her client was in court Friday. The 24-year-old will be back in court Monday, state’s attorney’s office spokesman Andy Conklin said.
Betterly, of Oakland Park, Mass.; Brian Church, 20, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; and Jared Chase, 24, of Keene, N.H., are all accused in a plot to make Molotov cocktails to use on President Barack Obama’s campaign headquarters, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s home and numerous police stations.
The three were among nine people arrested during the raid on an apartment building in the 1000 block of West 32nd Street days before the NATO Summit. The other six were released without charges.
Undercover Chicago Police officers infiltrated the group of protesters and watched them allegedly make the firebombs, sources said.
Coffey said Broward County officials do not plan to extradite Betterly to Florida before his trial in Chicago. The Broward County Clerk’s office could not be reached for comment Friday night.
Contributing: Lauren Fitzpatrick
