United States v. Robert J. Winslow, United States of America v. Stephen E. Nelson, United States of America v. Procter J. Baker

OVERVIEW

Appellants Robert J. Winslow and Stephen E. Nelson, members of an organization known as the Aryan Nations, traveled from Hayden Lake, Idaho to Seattle, Washington for the purpose of exploding a bomb in a gay bar. They were arrested in Washington after they had bought the components for the bomb, but before they had assembled it. They had been accompanied on the trip by Rico Valentino, an undercover informant who had penetrated the Aryan Nations organization.

Winslow, Nelson and Procter J. Baker, a coeonspirator who had remained in Idaho, were convicted of conspiracy to build a pipe bomb and travel in interstate commerce to kill, maim, or wound human beings, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 ; and possession of unregistered destructive devices, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 5861 (c)(d)(f) and (i). Winslow and Nelson were also convicted of interstate travel in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1952 ; and carrying firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924 (c)(1).

We have jurisdiction of these appeals pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291 , and we affirm. The relevant facts are set forth in the discussion of the various…