Animal-rights activists have been taken into custody for a cross-country crime spree that included an incident in southeast Iowa. California residents 31-year-old Joseph Brian Buddenberg and 28-year-old Nicole Juanita Kissane were arrested by the FBI recently for Conspiracy to Violate the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act.
Their indictment alleges that they were behind the release of 400 to 500 minks from a farm outside of Keota in 2013. The defendants are also accused of sneaking onto farms in Idaho, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania to free minks and destroy breeding records. Other crimes they are linked to include vandalizing a police vehicle and businesses involved with the fur industry. Overall, the defendants are suspected of releasing thousands of minks and causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.
Their charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
For more information, visit the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s website.