Sheriff Big Hair, Big Horn County, Montana

Pertaining to current events in Hardin, Montana, County of Big Horn, I  would like to introduce myself and the organization which I represent  in the state of Montana. Thank you for reading.

My name is Elias Alias and I am a resident of Gallatin County, Montana. I am an honorably-discharged U.S. Marine and veteran of the Vietnam War. I write this to you as the Montana director for a national organization known as Oath Keepers.
http://www.oathkeepers.org

On our website you will read – “Oath Keepers is a non-partisan association of currently serving military, reserves, National Guard, veterans, Peace Officers, and Fire Fighters who will fulfill the Oath we swore, with the support of like minded citizens who take an Oath to stand with us, to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, so help us God.”

I am writing to address two alleged crimes in your jurisdiction and invite you to consider carefully your obligations under the law.

As a Montanan and as an Oath Keeper, it has come to my attention that some persons presently positioned in Hardin, Montana, which is in your  lawful jurisdiction as County Sheriff, have posed publicly and illegally as police officers. I am certain that a brief re-examination of codes will verify my assertion that it is a violation of City, County, and State law to impersonate a police officer.

As the highest law enforcement authority in your County, by U.S. Constitutional mandate, your duty as County Sheriff includes the arrest of and detention of criminals who violate the law in your jurisdiction. As a duly-elected Sheriff, you swore an oath to the U.S. Constitution and to the Montana Constitution.

The criminals who are presently impersonating police officers are blatantly visible, and have been documented by various state and national news sources, including the following at KULR channel 8 in Billings, Montana –

http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/61320122.html?corder=reverse

That is “on-the-record” evidence of the commission of a crime. I submit that it is your duty to investigate this matter and render legal justice.

Additionally, I am reminded by Gary Marbut, President of the Montana Shooting Sports Association http://www.mtssa.org/ of the following:

In the Montana Constitution you shall read: Article II, Section 33. “Importation of armed persons. No armed person or persons or armed body of men shall be brought into this state for the preservation of the peace, or the suppression of domestic violence, except upon the application of the legislature, or of the governor when the legislature cannot be convened.”

The presence of a mysterious company, its personnel and physical assets, in Hardin, Montana, may be a corporate-sponsored violation of Article II, Section 33 of the Montana Constitution. Therefore I am requesting that you act in your authority as County Sheriff to investigate the American Police Force company which is presently functioning in the city of Hardin, Montana. Grounds for suspicion and some credible tips from the media and citizenry are worthy of gravity in your consideration of your duties as Sheriff of Bighorn County.Examples –

CBS News:  http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/09/29/crimesider/entry5351491.shtml

From that article: “The agreement with American Police Force has been heavily promoted by members of the city’s economic development branch, the Two Rivers Authority. Authority Vice President Albert Peterson on Friday repeated his claim to be “100 percent” confident in the  company. The lead public figure for American Police Force, Michael Hilton, said more than 200 employees would be sought for the jail and  a proposed military and law enforcement training center… Hilton also said he planned a helicopter tour of the region in coming days to look at real estate for a planned tactical military training ground. He said 5,000 to 10,000 acres were needed to complement the training center, a $17 million project. But the company’s flashy arrival this week stirred new questions. The logo on the black Mercedes SUVs said “City of Hardin Police Department. Yet the city has not had a police force of its own for 30 years”.

From the Private Corrections Institute – http://www.privateci.org/rap_amerpol.html – you may read:

“Two Rivers Detention Center, Hardin, Montana September 28, 2009 KULR 8 Confusion and secrecy about American Police Force has grown during the last few weeks. “APF has been here for 10 months but it has never been stealth,” said APF spokesperson Becky Shay at a press conference on Saturday morning. The group announced its plans to fill the $27 million dollar detention facility and build a police training center next to the jail. While they gave details for the site, other questions went unanswered. Where will the prisoners come from? What experience does APF have in prisoners and training police officers? Why was Two Rivers Authority Executive Director Greg Smith placed on administrative leave? During the press conference APF also refused to release any information on its funding or organization “The decision is the name of the parent company will not be released,” said Shay. When questioned about the decision to show up in Hardin last week in vehicles with “Hardin Police” templates, members were brief in their explanation. “They are to show are intentions are good,” said APF leader Captain Michael Hilton. “Why not put an APF logo on it,” said Shay. “You know we’re getting there.” All of the decals were removed from the vehicles two days later. APF has consistently stated the community has nothing to fear and says its plans will help stimulate the Hardin economy. “This corporation’s intention is to buy local and stay local and do local business as much as we can,” said Shay. Residents appear split in their feelings over the company. Some want more information, but others believe it will be a tremendous boost to the area. The company plans to hold a job fair in Hardin the third week of October. Another development this weekend was the naming of Shay as APF’s new public relations director. Shay was a reporter with the Billings Gazette who had covered the detention facility story for last few years.”

I submit that the above is sufficient evidence for investigating the American Police Force company’s activities inside your County. But whether your investigation ultimately proves that Article II, Section 33 of the Montana Constitution has been violated, or not, the crime of impersonating a police officer has obviously been committed by the drivers of the company’s vehicles which advertised said vehicles to be assets of a non-existing Hardin Police department. Although not a resident of your County, I am requesting  a written response to these allegations. Thank you.

I invite you to call me for more information about Oath Keepers, the apolitical organization which reminds our military and law-enforcement personnel to honor their oaths to the Constitution. I am sending to your office a packet containing Oath Keepers information and a personal invitation for you, your staff, and your deputies to join Oath Keepers. I invite you to side with the people of your County and of Montana in exercising your proper authority to investigate these allegations and render justice under the law you’ve sworn to uphold.

Because of the gravity in this situation, I would like to introduce you to a former Sheriff who will gladly share with you the Constitutional requirements which your oath of service carries. Sheriff Richard Mack – http://www.sheriffmack.com/ Your office should have already received by mail a copy of Sheriff Mack’s book, The County Sheriff: America’s Last Hope, available also at his website. Please read that book if you’ve not already done so.

All contact information will follow by U.S. mail.

Thank you for your service to the people of Bighorn County. Thank you for doing the right thing.
Sincerely,
Elias Alias – Director, Montana Oath Keepers http://www.oathkeepers.org