- Wisconsin activist Jeremy “Segway” Ryan is facing domestic terrorism charges for attempting to possess radioactive material
- After his arrest Ryan admitted he was trying to buy the material for a quick and painless suicide
- Ryan is well known for his activism in the Wisconsin Budget Repair bill, marijuana law reform, and his run as a Republican for Congress
- Since being in FBI custody, Ryan claims he has lost his eyesight due to negligence
Former congressional candidate and activist Jeremy Ryan was indicted for domestic terrorism by a federal Grand Jury in November 2018 after trying to acquire radioactive material online. Ryan and his lawyer claim he intended to use the radioactive material in a suicide.
Before his indictment, a failed congressional run, a diagnosis of cancer and constant battles in the world of activism left Ryan suicidal. Since his indictment Ryan has been desperately fighting to prove he wanted the radioactive material to die from suicide. Ryan has not been convicted of any charges but he is currently forced to live his life in prison. Since being in custody Ryan has had ongoing health issues that he claims are being ignored by prison officials.
Loss Of Eyesight
While in custody Ryan claims the FBI did not allow him to take out his contacts or clean them. There is a chance that permanent damage can be done without properly cleaning contacts. Unfortunately in this case, Ryan believes permanent damage has been done.
Prior to his arrest, his eye power in one eye was a -5.75 and the other was a -6.25. A -2.5 is considered legally blind as it is 20/200. Ryan explained his condition, saying “basically it means I can’t see much of anything without it [corrective lenses], but can see structures and figures enough to walk around but can’t make out any faces, some things like a stool I cannot see, it just blurs with the floor.” Ryan went to the infirmary in prison but was advised to go back to his cell and received no assistance. His reason for going to the infirmary was build up around his eye that was starting to burn and likely playing a role in his quickly deteriorating eyesight.
As of his last update received July 22, Ryan is still dealing with his contacts burning his eyes. If his backup pair in storage are not found, Ryan cannot get a new pair due to his expired prescription at Stanton Optical. Ryan will have to get another examination from a prison where he is already not receiving the proper medical attention. With Ryan being detained since 2018, there is no telling the damage done to his eyes until he is seen by an ophthalmologist.
Acts Of Nuclear Terrorism
Outside of Ryan, only one other American has been charged with 18 U.S.C. § 2332I, Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. According to court documents, Glendon Scott Crawford was charged with attempting to release “dangerous amounts of radiation to kill Muslims and others, including President Barack Obama.” Crawford was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Ryan believes he was set up for domestic terrorism after he possibly spoke to an undercover FBI agent in March who referred him to the Berlusconi Market on the Dark Web to find a deadly poison called Polonium-210. Polonium-210 made international news after it was used to kill a Russian spy named Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2016. Litvinenko was believed to have drank a fatal dose of Po-210 that was placed in his tea at a business meeting with two Russians, both of whom were charged with murder.
Polonium-210
Po-210 is a rare radioactive metal discovered by Marie Curie in in 1898 in her home country of Poland. It emits a high-energy radiation, but the particles do not travel far and it decays relatively fast. If Po-210 enters the body through inhalation, swallowing, or broken skin, the results can be fatal, as it is one of the deadliest toxins by mass. Po-210 is said to be 250 billions times more toxic than hydrogen cyanide.
It is found in small amounts in the human body and the environment due to the food chain, and especially in seafood. Tobacco smokers have more Po-210 as smoking causes it to accumulate in the lungs. Po-210 is also used in industries that remove static and in keeping environments clean of dust.
As a weapon, Po-210 could be lethal. However, Po-210 is extremely difficult to obtain and when used in commercial devices the material cannot be separated for use as a poison. Po-210 is not especially dangerous to carry around. Its high-energy radiation can easily be blocked by a thin barrier like a piece of paper. In other words, Po-210 really needs to be administered through swallowing, inhaling, or breaching an open wound to be fatal.
Suicide Attempt Leads To Domestic Terrorism
According to Ryan the undercover agent told him Po-210 “was a radioactive poison completely safe to carry and for anyone that doesn’t ingest it. But if someone previously had cancer, it would look like they died of cancer.” Over the course of the communication Ryan asked nine time if it was safe for others, including first responders. As being someone who fought cancer, Ryan thought he finally had a way to plan his own death and do so in a way that would not appear to be a suicide and could possibly inspire other activists. After losing his election campaign and battling cancer Ryan claims he was losing his fight against depression.
I WAS DEPRESSED. AFTER THE ELECTION I STRUGGLED WITH WHAT TO DO. I THOUGHT NOBODY WAS LISTENING. I THOUGHT THE ONLY WAY TO GET PEOPLE TO LISTEN WAS TO MAKE IT INDISPUTABLE THAT IT WASN’T ABOUT ME BUT WHAT I HAD TO SAY.
Jeremy Ryan
Ryan did not mention the Po-210 was for him during his conversation with the FBI, but the agent did ask the weight and height of the person ingesting it. Ryan responded that the person was 6 feet tall and 220 pounds. According to Ryan’s lawyer, federal defender Joseph Bugni, he is about that same height and weight.
He went to pick up what he thought was the Po-210. According to Ryan, what he received was water. Even though the FBI knew it was water they told media there was suspected radioactive material in his car. Ryan believes the FBI knew it was for him through the conversations and the fact he was arrested directly after picking up the shipment. Ryan claims there was no investigation to see what his intentions were. Court filings claim it was clear Ryan intended on using the Po-210 to die from suicide.
Due to the fact his bail was denied, Ryan lost his disability income. Despite Ryan being nonviolent the judge denied his bail. At one point he had signs in his yard that read “Fuck the Police,” which was taken as a warning sign Ryan would not comply with bail terms, according to Valerie Walasek. Ryan went from fighting suicide, to fighting domestic terrorism.
Future Plans
Ryan stated that before he was arrested that he was working with musicians such as Bizarre and Cashis with activism related activities, but at the time of writing this Discuss was not able to confirm it.
Though there is not one set in place, Ryan has advised that he may be in the process of working a plea deal out. Jeremy’s new court date is January 20, 2020 and will mark almost 15 months served as a domestic terrorist for what appears to be a suicide attempt.
Jeremy Ryan Court Documents by Nathan Dimoff on Scribd
https://www.scribd.com/embeds/421657775/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true&access_key=key-3Lc5ZEgOYZedvW35KKkM
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