ATL Training Center: 61 Indicted, Accused Of Violence

ATLANTA, GA — At least 60 people were indicted on Aug. 29 relating to violence at the site of the future Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, Attorney General Chris Carr said Tuesday.

Charges range from violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act to domestic terrorism to money laundering and first-degree attempted arson, according to the 109-page indictment.

The training center has been at the forefront of a battle between law enforcement and protesters who are against the building of the East Atlanta center for environmental concerns. Atlanta city officials have promised to protect the forest in the building of the center. The proposed site is near Key and Constitution roads.

The 61 people who were indicted are accused of being members of Defend the Atlanta Forest and are accused of organizing violent acts and destroying property in Fulton County and throughout Georgia and other states. Thirteen defendants are from Georgia.

The group is accused in at least 225 incidents that include throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails through a Department of Public Safety window, injuring two employees and setting the building on fire.

RELATED: $15K Reward Offered In Attacks On Atlanta Police Facilities

The defendants are accused of throwing Molotov cocktails and glass bottles at police officers, throwing fireworks at firefighters and emergency medical technicians, damaging an Atlanta Police vehicle and cutting the safety rope of an arborist who was working on trees at the site.

"On multiple occasions, members of the group torched and caused other damage to buildings and construction equipment, including excavators and bulldozers, owned by contractors associated with the project and then claimed responsibility for the destruction," read Carr's release.

"Members of the group used the Scenes Blog to call for a 'Night of Rage' to occur on Jan. 21, 2023, during which defendants committed arson and property damage and attempted to break into 191 Peachtree, where the offices of the Atlanta Police Foundation and other businesses are located."

RELATED: Judge Rules In Favor Of 'Stop Cop City' Petition Organizers: Attorneys

Carr said someone punched a police officer and "an organized mob" attacked authorities who were guarding the site earlier this year. The mob then set construction vehicles on fire, he said.

"On July 3, 2022, at least one member of the group vandalized historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. On multiple occasions, members of the group harassed and intimidated law enforcement, including traveling to the home of a state trooper," read Carr's release.

He accused group members of harassing and intimidating contractors and construction workers, as well as trespassing on and destroying property in Georgia, Florida, New York, Oregon, Michigan and Minnesota.

Five people were charged on suspicion of domestic terrorism after being accused of trying to destroy a bank and APD vehicles in January.

RELATED: Midtown Bank Protester Charged With Simple Assault, Obstruction

“As this indictment shows, looking the other way when violence occurs is not an option in Georgia,” Carr said in a news release. “If you come to our state and shoot a police officer, throw Molotov cocktails at law enforcement, set fire to police vehicles, damage construction equipment, vandalize private homes and businesses and terrorize their occupants, you can and will be held accountable. We will not waver when it comes to keeping people safe, enforcing the rule of law and ensuring those who engage in criminal activity are vigorously pursued and aggressively prosecuted.”

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation led the probe against the defendants in partnership with the APD, the Georgia DPS, the DeKalb County Police Department, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“The criminal acts of those named in this indictment have placed public safety personnel and members of the community in danger,” GBI Director Chris Hosey said in the release. “This major step is a testament to the GBI’s commitment to protecting the citizens of Georgia. We will continue to work with the Georgia Attorney General’s Office and our local and federal partners to hold any person who seeks to harm the lives of others accountable.”

RELATED: DeKalb DA Withdraws From Prosecuting Atlanta Training Center Arrests

Law enforcement have faced major opposition from "Stop Cop City" protesters who have spoken out against the building of the training center.

A downtown protest commenced days after the shooting of a Georgia State Patrol trooper and the killing of the person suspected of shooting the trooper in a Jan. 18 protest against the construction of the training center near Constitution Road.

Three people were charged in late May for money laundering in connection with financial crimes at the future training center site. The GBI told Patch at the time no additional information was available on the financial crimes.

RELATED: 3 Charged With Money Laundering At Future ATL Training Center Site

A woman was arrested in late June and accused of throwing spoiled meat at Atlanta police officers during a protest at a West Peachtree Street bank. Fox 5 Atlanta reported the bank loaned money to the Atlanta Police Foundation.

Protesters were accused on July 5 of attacking Atlanta Police facilities and setting police vehicles on fire. The protesters were also accused of setting the police department's Memorial Drive facility on fire.

Police said the protesters have damaged construction equipment owned by training center contractors.

The Atlanta City Council voted on June 6 with an 11-4 vote to approve construction for the public safety training center, the Atlanta Journal Constitution previously reported. Taxpayers in the City of Atlanta will allocate $67 million toward the center, according to the outlet.
Information about the public safety facility is available here.

Carr said Tuesday the following people were indicted:

• Jack Morgan Beamon, 22, of Athena
• Max Jacob Biederman, 25, of Tempe, Arizona
• Timothy E. Bilodeau, 26, of Boston, Massachusetts
• Emma Katherine Bogush, 25, of Bethany, Connecticut
• Andrew Darnell Carlisle, 32, of Decatur
• Francis M. Carroll, 23, of Kennebunkport, Maine
• Amin Jalal Chaoui, 29, of Richmond, Virginia
• Brooke Elaine Courtemanche, 27, of Wooster, Ohio
• Colin Patrick Dorsey, 42, of Blue Hill, Massachusetts
• Julia Caroline DuPuis, 24, of Atlanta
• Ariel Caitlin Ebaugh, 22, of Locust Grove
• Lillian Pearl Ellis, 30
• Madeleine Feola, 22, of Oberlin, Ohio
• Ivan James Ferguson, 23, of Henderson, Nevada
• Phillip Allen Flagg, 29, of Worchester, Massachusetts
• Maggie June Gates, 25, of Bloomington, Indiana
• Nadja Geier, 24, of Nashville, Tennessee
• Priscilla Christine Grim, 49
• Sonali Gupta, 32
• Luke Edward Harper, 27, of Lake Worth, Florida
• Serena Abby Hertel, 26, of Los Angeles, California
• Marianna Elizabeth Hoitt-Lange, 25, of New York
• Thomas Webb Jergens, 28, of Atlanta
• Hannah Margaret Kass, 30, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Marlon Scott Kautz, 39, of Atlanta
• Ayla Elegia King, 19, of Worchester, Massachusetts
• Katie Marie Kloth, 36, of Schofield, Pennsylvania
• Madeleine Gunther Kodat, 30, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Zoe C. Larmey, 26, of Nashville, Tennessee
• Ana Gypsy Lee, 39, of Gainesville
• Dimitri Roger LeNy, 25, of France
• Spencer Bernard Liberto, 30, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
• Mattia Luini, 31, of New York, New York
• Matthew Ernest Macar, 31, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
• Adele Garrett MacLean, 32, of Atlanta
• James Lee Marsicano, 30, of Charlette, North Carolina
• Grace Taylor Martin, 23, of Madison, Wisconsin
• Kayley Cheryl Meissner, 20, of Madison, Wisconsin
• Emily Murphy, 37, of Berkley, Michigan
• Timothy A.R. Murphy, 26, of Rockport, Maine
• Tyler John Norman, 39, of Blue Mountain, Wisconsin
• Leif Kingfisher Nicholas Novak, 31, of Tucson, Arizona
• Ehret William Nottingham, 22, of Fort Collins, Colorado
• Nicholas Dean Olson, 26, of Bennington, Nebraska
• Alexis Achilles Papali, 49, of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
• Geoffrey Parsons, 21, of Baltimore, Maryland
• Savannah D. Patterson, 30, of Atlanta
• Kamryn Durel Pipes, 27, of Baton Rouge, Lousiana
• Victor Enrique Puertas, 46, of Provo, Utah
• Christopher Reynolds, 32, of Ohio
• Fredrique Robert-Paul, 35, of St. Pascal, Canada
• Arieon T. Robinson, 22, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Teresa Yue Shen, 32, of New York, New York
• Abigail Elizabeth Skapyak, 24, of Savage, Minnesota
• Caroline Hart Tennenbaum, 36, of Atlanta
• Geneva Rose Tilbury, 25, of Kansas City, Missouri
• Abeeku Osei Vassail, 23, of Atlanta
• Leonard Zen AKA Leonardo Zen Voiselle, 21, of Macon
• Samuel Clemens Ward, 26, of Mesa, Arizona
• William Budden Warren, 31, of Decatur
• Sarah Wasalewski, 35, of Pennsylvania