Burns Chronicles #41

Dennis Dickenson (Dennis Jones)

By Gary Hunt ——Bio and Archives--November 18, 2016

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On October 11, 2015, the initial Operation Mutual Defense (OMD) Advisory Board (AB) held their first meeting. Each meeting had an agenda and the AB members agreed to record the telephonic meetings, for the record. The recordings were then place in a Dropbox folder, accessible only to the AB members. There was also a private mail-list group set up, again restricted only to AB members. The AB was comprised of five members. The only member that was known only by one other member, Ryan Payne, was a retired military officer named Dennis Roy Dickenson. Dickenson had endeared himself to Ryan when he was going to fly up to Montana on April 10, 2014. The meeting never occurred, as Ryan had left for the Bundy Ranch on April 7.

Mr. Dickenson had provided his DD-214, as was required of all members of the AB who claimed prior military service. Of his 21 years of service he was in "intelligence" for over 19 years, and left the service, honorably, as a Marine Lt. Colonel. Under the agreement of all of the SB members, I had set up the Dropbox account and the mail-list group. The Dropbox is rather simple where only designated people have access and large files can be transferred up and down in the background. The mail-list group access panel is limited to designated individuals. Dickenson volunteered to be secretary to the AB, and was designated, just in case I was inaccessible, to have access to the webpage and the mail list group. He was given the access passwords. We held weekly meetings and special meetings, when necessary. In every case, agendas and recordings were made available to all members of the AB. In the first recorded meeting, on October 11, 2015, Dickenson, when asked about minutes of meetings, stated that since we had the recordings, he saw that there was no need for written minutes. However, as we shall see, Dickenson did make minutes of the meetings, and promptly turned them over to FBI Special Agent Mark D. Seyler, as well as recordings, emails, and other information regarding Dickenson's vocation as a spy.

Drafted By: Mark D. Seyler Case ID: xxxx Collected From: xxxx Receipt Given?: No Holding Office: SALT LAKE CITY Details: As noted in several FD-1023 CHS reports, since October 1, 2015, xxxx has provided the case Agent with several files associated with the Operation Mutual Defense(OMD) Advisory Board. These files have been transferred between OMD Advisory Board members via email as well as a shared Dropbox.com account. On November 7, 2015, the case Agent saved several of these documents to a single DVD for storage as evidence in the captioned case file. Included on this DVD are recordings of OMD Advisory Board meetings from October 11 to November 5, 2015, meeting agendas, task lists, and other documents. Item Type Description 18 Digital DVD Containing OMD Advisory Board files provided by CHS Collected On: 11/07/2015 Seizing Individual: Mark D. Seyler Located By: Mark D. Seyler Location Area: Shared E-Mail Acct Specific Location: Shared E-Mail Acct Device Type: Compact Disc/Digital Video Disc(CDs/DVDs) Number of Devices Collected: 1

In hindsight, reviewing the recordings from that first meeting, Dickenson, when someone mentioned "we", or any indication that something someone was talking about implied other participants, he always asked who the other participants were. He also sought detail on every subject, in every meeting. Now, this could be attributed to a desire to fully participate, and it could be a desire to gain information. The FBI uses form "FD-1023", also known as "CHS Reporting Document", for agents assigned to an informant to provide information, based upon their communication, face to face, via text or email, by phone, or even secret messages, to be placed into the record. "CHS", of course, refers to "Confidential Human Source". The following information is from those 1023 forms. They are marked, at the bottom left corner, "Dissemination Limited by Court Order". So, let me make this perfectly clear -- I have no intention of "disseminating" the documents, nor am I bound by any "Court Order". I am writing about a Public Trial, which was held in September and October 2016. Had I access to these documents during that trial, I would have written the same article that I am writing now. A Public Trial, as intended by the Founders, was guaranteed so that we could judge both the alleged crimes of the accused and the role of the government. This article, and subsequent articles on the subject of informants, is about the role of the government. Given the background, above, we can clearly see that the government has no intention of spying on the people that created that government. This reeks of George Orwell's "1984", to the greatest degree possible. The government had no reason to believe that OMD or the AB had any intention of doing anything illegal. The purpose of OMD was to evaluate situations, and if the situation had merit, as determined by the AB, then a call out would be made to the followers of OMD. If any illegal activity was discussed, it was discussed only to the extent of whether something would be illegal, or not. However a call out would be consistent with the rights preserved by the First Amendment; Speech, Assembly, and Redress of Grievances. In some of the matters brought before the AB it was determined that there was no lawful standing to pursue a situation, ending discussion on that matter. Recorded meetings were held on October 11, 18, 25, and November 1, 2015. With the exception of the above, we find the first written 1023 report dated November 3, 2015. It deals with separate phone calls with AB members. The first mention in the 1023s of the Hammonds was based upon a call with Ryan Payne:

CHS has been communicating regularly with Ryan Payne. Payne submitted background checks for he and Hunt, and is awaiting the results. Payne is very upset by the plight of Steve and Dwight Hammond in Oregon. They have apparently decided to accept the 5-year sentence imposed by the government and go to prison peacefully. Payne has contemplated interfering with their going to prison even though the Hammonds have not requested OMD's assistance. Ammon Bundy recently forwarded Payne a press release from the Bundy Family in support of the Hammonds, warning of repercussions to the federal government if the Hammonds are imprisoned.

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The background checks were approved by the AB as a requisite prior to acceptance on the board. Dickenson's background check was also provided to the AB. Later, that same day, another 1023 is filed regarding a subsequent conversation with Ryan Payne:

Ryan Payne is traveling to Oregon on the morning of November 4, 2015, with Ammon Bundy to meet with the Hammond family regarding the father and son's intent to surrender themselves to federal authorities and prison. Payne said the driving force behind this trip is Cliven Bundy, who has been asking Payne for months when he intends to start another militia action to confront the government. Earlier in the day, Ammon Bundy sent Payne an email with a press release from the Bundy Family in support of the Hammonds. Payne believes Cliven told Ammon to go along with Payne to see if they can convince the Hammonds to take a stand.

On November 5, 2015, we get to the reports of the meetings, the "minutes" that Dickenson did not want to write for the OMD-AB, but was more than willing to write for the FBI, It begins with:

A Confidential Human Source (CHS), much of whose reporting has been corroborated, provided the following information: At approximately 5:00 pm Mountain Standard Time, on Thursday, November 5, 2015, the Advisory board for Operation Mutual Defense held a meeting via conference call. Initially participating in this meeting were Tim "Nailer" Foley, Dennis Jones, Gary Hunt, and Jon Ritzheimer.

Note that "Dennis Jones" is participating in the meeting. However, there was no Dennis Jones, only Dennis Dickenson. This is a lie to the FBI, and is consistent throughout the reports. In other 1023 reports, if the CHS is involved, they would report that "Initially participating in this meeting were Tim "Nailer" Foley, CHS, Gary Hunt, and Jon Ritzheimer." So, apparently, and informants can lie, so long as he is working for the FBI. And, in reviewing the recordings with the 1023 reports, there are many instances of Dickenson either lying outright, or twisting the truth to a point that is appears to be opposite of what really transpired. Regarding the Hammonds, in that same meeting:

Payne described how he and Ammon met with Steve Hammond and Susan Hammond (Steve's mother), but did not talk to Dwight Hammond (Steve's father). [Steve] believes the government wants to take the Hammond's land, and will do what it takes to get it. Steve Hammond doesn't appear to talk with anyone about the matter, and appeared perturbed when Ammon showed up on Steve's doorstep. Ammon helped around the ranch while talking with Steve, and it is Ammon's opinion is that Steve is broken down to point where he doesn't want to fight anymore. He and his father appear to be at peace with submitting themselves to imprisonment. At this point, it looks like there is not going to be a request from the Hammonds for OMD support. Susan Hammond is very familiar with the issues and injustices her family is facing and if anyone could convince her husband and son to take a stand, it would be her. The Hammonds are going to discuss Payne and Ammon's offer of help, and Susan will contact Payne to let him know. According to Payne, Ammon is very clear that for the Bundy family, it doesn't matter whether the Hammonds request or desire assistance, they have a responsibility to stand up for them. After much discussion, the OMD board voted that OMD should act if the Hammonds give any kind of approval for militia-related assistance or at least agree to not turn themselves in. If the Hammonds decline any offer of support, the majority of the board voted not to stage an action. Hunt expressed concern that OMD could suffer great embarrassment if they were asked to leave by the Hammonds. Payne claims the Bundy family intends to act regardless of the Hammond's decision, but he doesn't know what they will do. He discussed the plan where the Bundy's could purchase the Hammond's grazing allotments, and light fire to them. Ammon said he would be willing to do this if he had protection (presumably from a militia group like OMD).

So, peaceful plans are still being considered. There was the possibility of something that might force a confrontation, if the Hammonds agreed to ask for help. However, Dickenson, in his parenthetical, make OMD a "militia group". It had been made clear from the beginning that OMD was like a Committee of Correspondence. That is was NOT a "militia group". However, he wants to suggest a different purpose - a form of demonization of the organization that he is a part of. Interestingly, in this meeting, a discussion of what AB would do, under three different situations, ensued. It was broken done to "three doors". Door #1 is would AB act if the Hammonds agreed to allow OMD to be called out in support of them. The votes was unanimous, "yes". Door #2 was would the AB consider a call out of the Hammonds would not express support, but would not come out in disagreement with a call out. Again, it was a unanimous vote of "yes". Door #3 was whether the AB would call out through OMD if the Hammonds were opposed to any action in support of keeping them from going to prison. The vote was three for not becoming involved and two were for involvement. Those two were Ryan Payne and Dennis Dickenson. Was Dickenson's vote an effort to encourage such activity? It was not addressed, at all, in the written report. Another matter that he did not mention though the AB found it both interesting and disconcerting, was the fact that Ryan reported that Brandon Curtiss had agreed to work with the Sheriff, to help the Hammonds or support the federal government, whatever the Sheriff decided to do. I had previously link that report on the Brandon Curtiss article, though it can be listened to HERE As we continue through the documents, Dickenson reports every detail of any possible action. Basically, he provided the minutes that he declined to prepare for the OMD-AB. He has 20 known and more possible reports. Those 20 constitute 41 pages of the 230 pages of 1023 reports. He is, perhaps, the most prolific writer of the informants. Many of his reports are outside of the meetings and are based upon phone calls with members of the AB. Many of those calls were to or from AB members at the Refuge. On two occasions, once before the occupation of the Refuge and once during the occupation, Dickenson says that he will travel from Florida to meet AB members, though when the time gets near for his trip, his wife has some medical procedures that forestall the trip. It seems rather strange that someone who took an oath to the Constitution, and served over twenty years under that oath, would turn against the Constitution and spy, for his government, on its own people.

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Gary Hunt——Bio and Archives

Gary Hunt was a Professional Land Surveyor. Having been the County Surveyor for Orange County, Florida from 1974 to 1978, he began private practice in 1978 and continued as such until 1993, when events in Waco, Texas caused him to leave his business in pursuit of restoring the Constitution.

In 1989, he began researching, investigating and studying history, law and events where the government was “pointing its guns in the wrong direction”. He began publishing a patriot newspaper, “Outpost of Freedom”, in February 1993.

Since that time, he has investigated numerous occurrences, including, Waco, the Murder of Michael Hill, Ohio Militia Chaplain, Oklahoma City Bombing, and other events. He has attended the sites to investigate the events, and has reported on his investigations.

He has continued to report on his findings on the Internet, as well as write articles about other current events; about the history of the Revolutionary era; and the founding documents.

His Internet home page is outpost-of-freedom.com

Burns Chronicles #41

Dennis Dickenson (Dennis Jones)

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