Oregon Standoff Trial: The Defense Rests

"I was asked to oversee the shooting range," said Fabio Minoggio, a government informant known at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge as "John Killman." He was on the stand Monday as one of the last witnesses in the trial of seven people on charges stemming from the 41-day armed occupation of the refuge.

While Minoggio did not say who had asked him to do that, he talked about teaching firearm safety during his brief stay at the refuge. He was there from January 23rd through the 26th. The 26th was the day that Ammon Bundy, his brother, Ryan, and several others were arrested as they headed to John Day to meet Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer.

Minoggio, who was not paid though he was reimbursed for a bullet proof vest and repairs to his truck, was one of 15 confidential informants the government used during the occupation.

Defense lawyers tried to convince Judge Anna Brown, who is overseeing the case, to allow the identities of the other informants to be revealed but she said no. The identities of three informants have been revealed. In addition to Minoggio, there was also Mark McConnell, who drove Ammon Bundy the day he was arrested, and Terri Linnell from California who assisted with cooking at the refuge.

When the defense rested, prosecutors mounted a brief rebuttal, calling a deputy sheriff and the manager of the refuge.

On Tuesday, the jury will receive instructions and then there will be closing arguments.