‘NATO 3’ defendant wants to resolve case here before returning to Fla.
BY LAUREN FITZPATRICK Sun-Times Media lfitzpatrick@suntimes.com June 4, 2012 12:14PM
Brent Vincent Betterly
Updated: June 4, 2012 12:14PM
One of the accused “NATO 3” wants to resolve terrorism charges in Cook County before returning to Florida to deal with a pending case there.
Shuffling in with his hands shackled to his stomach, Brent Vincent Betterly appeared Monday morning before Judge Donald Panarese in a yellow jumpsuit, his blond hair in long dreadlocks.
Panarese asked him if he wished to go to Florida to face pending charges in Broward County.
“Yes,” Betterly replied.
“Not at this point,” interjected one of his attorneys, Paul Brayman.
Brayman said after the brief hearing at the Criminal Courthouse that Betterly wants to resolve the Cook County case before returning to Florida.
Along with Brian Church, 20, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; and Jared Chase, 24, of Keene, N.H.; Betterly, 24, of Oakland Park, Mass, was arrested days before the NATO summit began in Chicago, accused of hatching a plot to make Molotov cocktails to use on President Barack Obama’s campaign headquarters, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s home and police stations.
He returns to court on June 12 on the terrorism case and on June 28 on the Florida case.
Broward County officials issued a no-bail warrant last week, saying the Chicago arrest violated the conditions of Betterly’s bond there on charges of breaking into a school and having a pool party.
