Phoenix Man Sentenced To Over 68 Years In Prison For Threat And Assault Of Federal Law Enforcement And Other Charges Related To 2014 Armed Standoff In Bunkerville

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Phoenix, Ariz. man was sentenced today to 819 months in prison in connection with the armed assault against federal law enforcement officers that occurred in the Bunkerville, Nev. area in April 2014, over rancher Cliven Bundy’s trespassing cattle from public lands. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Chief Judge Gloria M. Navarro sentenced Burleson to three years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI’s Las Vegas Division, and Acting Director Michael D. Nedd of the Bureau of Land Management made the announcement.

Following a 32-day jury trial, Gregory P. Burleson, 53, was convicted on April 24, 2017, of assault on a federal officer; threatening a federal law enforcement officer; obstruction of the due administration of justice; interference with interstate commerce by extortion; interstate travel in aid of extortion; and three counts of use and carry of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.

According to the superseding indictment, Burleson traveled to Nevada with the intent to commit a crime of violence to extort federal law enforcement officers while they were executing a federal court order to remove and impound Cliven Bundy’s cattle that were trespassing on federal public lands in and around Bunkerville. On or about April 12, 2014, Burleson used and brandished a firearm to impede, intimidate, and to threaten to assault federal law enforcement officers involved in the federal impoundment operations. He also threatened and used force and violence to obstruct interstate commerce by extortion in that he obtained and attempted to obtain approximately 400 cattle that were in the possession of federal law enforcement officers.

The case was investigated by the FBI and BLM. The case was prosecuted by Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas D. Dickinson and Nadia J. Ahmed, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin M. Creegan.

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