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Last modified: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 10:19 AM CDT
Charge reduced in church disruption case
MANDAN, N.D. (AP) — A Jamestown man accused of terrorizing a Mandan church now faces a lesser charge.
Forty-three-year-old Jan Malina had been charged with felony terrorizing following the Sept. 6 incident in which he allegedly disrupted a service at St. Michael’s Traditional Roman Catholic Church before being tackled by parishioners. Police say they found weapons, thousands of rounds of ammunition, gas masks and anti-government literature in Malina’s truck.
The terrorizing charge has been reduced to criminal mischief and disorderly conduct, two misdemeanors. Morton County State’s Attorney Allen Koppy says investigators did not turn up evidence that backed the terrorizing charge.
While the felony would have carried a maximum penalty of five years in prison and fines of up to $5,000 upon conviction, the misdemeanors each carry 30-day maximum jail sentences and $1,000 fines.
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