Project 7 trial sheds light on conspiracy

A shadowy group of militants trained in the Montana woods, signed oaths of

allegiance that renounced any other form of government, collected illegal machine guns and

ran drills that simulated a response to intervention by law enforcement. A calling card left

by an FBI agent at the burial site of the weapons was the beginning of the end.

MISSOULA - A shadowy group of militants trained in the Montana woods, signed oaths of allegiance that renounced any other form of government, collected illegal machine guns and ran drills that simulated a response to intervention by law enforcement.

A calling card left by an FBI agent at the burial site of the weapons was the beginning of the end.

Whether Larry Chezem, a one-time candidate for Flathead County sheriff, was a co-conspirator with the group is up to a federal jury in Missoula to decide. Chezem is the only one of several people charged in the alleged conspiracy who has actually gone to trial; the rest have pleaded guilty in deals.

Chezem is acting as his own attorney on the federal charge of conspiring to possess illegal weapons. A jury was selected Monday morning, and then testimony began, although Chezem got off to a shaky start even before that.

District Judge Donald Molloy, before whom Chezem has appeared previously, ordered Chezem to sit down three times at the start of the day. Chezem lingered by the door of the courtroom, asking Molloy, "Can I have your name please?"

Chezem took his place in the courtroom after saying he was there against his will and "in fear for my security and safety."

He made no opening statement to the jury, but listened as assistant U.S. Attorney Kris McLean did. McLean outlined his case for the jury, describing a group called Project 7 and its activities beginning in 2001.

The group obtained and trained with illegal machine guns until their leader, Dave Burgert, was arrested in February 2002 after an all-night standoff with a SWAT team in the woods west of Kalispell. The group then began shifting its weapons arsenal to various locations, McLean said.

Two members of the group who pleaded guilty to federal weapons charges testified that Chezem was a member of Project 7 from the beginning, specializing in radio communications and training with a gun he called Nadine.

Tracy Brockway was a founding member of the group. She is imprisoned in Tallahassee, Fla., as a result of her involvement. Her testimony against Chezem may shorten her prison term.

Steve Morey has the same deal with the government. He said "I want the truth to be known."

The truth, as defined by members of the group, is unsettling.

Morey said he understood Project 7 was a group of survivalists training for natural disasters or national invasions. Members talked about Mexicans coming across the border or Russians invading from Canada.

"I don't even understand how I could have bought into it," he testified, saying he must have been brainwashed.

"It's like a good thing that went bad," that degenerated into hatred for the government, particularly local law enforcement, Morey said.

He owned an illegal weapon and modified another for a member of the group. He said he trained with other group members, including Chezem, and went to meetings at Chezem's and other people's homes.

At one point, the group was training in woods near Thompson Falls, practicing how to check for booby traps and trip wires. A member of the group radioed the others that "LEOs had arrived," their acronym for law enforcement officers.

The order went out to load their guns and to double back for an assault on the officers. Morey, Chezem and others did, and then they found out it was just a drill, "to see who had the balls to stick it out and didn't run - who had the good fight," Morey said.

After Burgert's arrest, weapons were reportedly shifted from Brockway's home to others. Two members, Morey and John Erdmann, eventually buried them on Crane Mountain near Bigfork.

But by then, Erdmann had become convinced that Burgert was "more of a nut case than anything else."

While in jail, Burgert confided to Erdmann that he had mined an out building on Brockway's property with pipe bombs. Erdmann called the FBI.

In June 2002, when Erdmann and Morey buried the machine guns at Crane Mountain, the FBI knew about the operation. And when the men returned later to dig up the weapons, they found an empty box with a note and business card from FBI agent Steve Liss.

"We have your goods and we have you. We suggest you call the FBI," the note read.

After that, Erdmann recorded phone conversations and wore a recording device when he talked to Chezem, who wanted a map of where the guns were buried.

"He was very much into security," Erdmann said.

The two communicated by writing notes which Chezem burned, Erdmann said.

The jury today will hear one of the recordings Erdmann made with Chezem, McLean said.

In his brief cross-examination of witnesses, Chezem acknowledged his alliance with the group, but questioned the accuracy of their memories.

He asked Erdmann if he had ever seen Chezem's gun fire on full automatic, which would make the weapon illegal.

Erdmann said he had not.

In order to be convicted of conspiracy, the government has to prove that Chezem was aware of the conspiracy and participated in it, and that at least one member of the group performed an overt act to carry out the conspiracy.

The trial is expected to conclude today or Wednesday.

Reporter Chery Sabol may be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at csabol@dailyinterlake.com