Va. woman arrested for blogging about cops has white supremacist past

July 31, 2009 @ 3:52AM

Va. woman arrested for blogging about cops has white supremacist past

By Carlos Miller -...

For almost a year, Elisha Strom hacked away at the blog that was mostly unknown to the world outside the law enforcement agencies that make up the Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement (JADE) task force in central Virginia.

Unknown to the outside world, that is, until that blog got her arrested earlier this month.

Now the 34-year-old woman who operated I HeArTE JADE sits in a jail cell on a single charge of harassment of a police officer, a felony in Virginia punishable by up to six months in jail. Unable to pay her $7,500 bond, she will most likely remain incarcerated until Sept. 17th when her next court hearing is scheduled.

And while she comes across as playful, naive and curious in her blog postings – as well as obsessive and compulsive – her history reveals her to be a fiery white supremacist who was deeply engaged in the underground new-Nazi movement.

In fact, she was named one of “40 to Watch” in 2003 by the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that tracks hate groups. The Southern Poverty Law Center also says she is the author behind Angry White Female.

She is also married to Kevin Strom, one of the leaders of the National Alliance, a neo-Nazi organization whose goal is to secure a living space in the United States where only non-Jewish people of white European backgrounds are allowed to live.

But that marriage became estranged after she walked in on her husband masturbating to images of two young, white nationalist-movement singers whose heads had been superimposed onto two nude bodies. She later found actual child pornography on his computer.

She eventually helped convict her husband for child pornography, which is how she met at least one of the members of the Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement task force, thus beginning her obsessiveness with the JADE task force.

And while she broke off ties with the National Alliance after the imprisonment of her husband (who has since been released), she still believes in keeping the white race pure, according to Charlottesville’s weekly newspaper, The Hook.

“I still consider myself a white nationalist, but I don’t consider myself part of that organization anymore,” she says. “I don’t want to be associated with a group that thinks a pedophile is okay.”

She also says she would never call herself a racist.

“I want separation of the races,” she explains. “I want a white nation.”

Charlottesville Police Detective Brian O’Donnell, one of the lead investigators in the case against her husband, apparently spent months talking to her as he gathered evidence against her husband.

And while this relationship appears to have been kept strictly professional, Strom appears to have developed an unhealthy obsession with O’Donnell, whom she refers to as “Longhead” on her blog.

She also appears to have had another relationship, much more intimate, with another officer who was not part of the task force. This one is only referred to as Boomslang and she insinuates that he provided her information on the task force.

From the time she launched her blog in October 2008 until the day of her arrest on July 12, Strom took delight in taunting the officers of the task force.

And she would get bolder with each post as she continually tested the boundaries, dismissing warning letters from the Charlottesville Police Chief as she followed the officers in their daily routines, photographing them and posting their pictures online, eventually publishing the home address of one officer.

She also followed them when they raided homes, even contacting the local newspaper to tip them off.

At one point, she appears to have contacted me inquiring about photographers rights.

In February 2009, after having received a second warning letter from Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo, Strom explains how she spent the day conducting research on the internet about the right to photograph police. She came across my site because she used two of my photos in her post.

For fun I spent a tiny portion of the remainder of my day researching the subject of photographing law enforcement specifically, and, due to what I found, wound up on the phone to an attorney in Oregon and also a reporter in Florida each of whom have such eye-opening pertinent stories I couldn’t resist contacting them.

To end my day, I put up this post with accompanying pre-publicized pictures taken of policemen by journalists, children, and ordinary citizens, who know photography is, much to the annoyance of self-important officers, not a crime.

The attorney in Oregon is Bert Krages (check out right sidebar) and I’m assuming the “reporter in Florida” is me. Although I didn’t speak to her by phone, as she says, I may have responded to an email because I do receive quite a lot of emails on this subject.

Of course she could have just been making the part about contacting us up because there is more than enough information on our sites that don’t require contacting us.

In a December 2008 blog post, she recounted a phone conversation she had with O’Donnell a year earlier in which he tells her he no longer needs her as a witness because her husband has changed his plea to guilty.

I let the news sink in for a moment. Strange I found my thoughts focusing more on Mr. O’Donnell than on the outcome of my husband and his crimes.

“So, I guess this means we’re done?” I asked, fishing for where this would leave him and me.

“Yes, we’re done” he replied matter-of-factly.

The call ultimately ended as politely as it had begun. We bid each other well for the approaching holiday and said good-bye. I snapped my cell phone shut, plugged it into its charger, and used my fingertips to brush away the lone teardrop from my cheek.

Ten months later, she launched her blog, dedicating her first post to him.

In a November 2008 post, she stated that one reason she was obsessed over JADE had to do with a certain bullying FBI Agent she met during her husband’s investigation (whom she later named as Jim Lamb). She also describes how JADE officers caught her taking pictures of them. And she dared them to try and stop her, insinuating that she possesses some damaging information against them or the Feds (or both?).

Absent a tremendous amount of details, prior to my decision to do any of this I’d received two bully calls from a certain FBI agent. (I know him because, again, absent a tremendous amount of details, some time ago I found myself in the position of being a witness for the prosecution in a federal unrelated-to-drugs case.) My response to the agent’s bullying was to accumulate information about the Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement Task Force (there’s a conjunction, I swear). No doubt this was not the result the agent was going for.

***

In all seriousness, I don’t have much. I do have enough intelligence to, within the confines of the law, effectually take on what I believe is nothing more than a group of arrogant thugs.

Just like they were completely unaware of what I was up to with them, I have no idea what they’re doing in regards to me. But consider this: They can’t take away what I know. And once it’s out there… It’s. Out. There. They can’t get it back.

Will the Federal Bureau of Investigation make good on its threat? Time will tell. The bottom line: Maybe I’ll have to do the same.

Then in May 2009, she wrote that all she wanted from Detective O’Donnell was for him to answer some questions for her; simple questions that he never answered, such as:

How long have you been doing narcotics?
How many other people do you work with?
They as old as you? Y’all get along?
Do you all have a lot of cases?
How long does it take to close them?
How often do you raid houses? Do you raid houses?
How many busts in a week or month?
Do you actually go undercover — like in disguise?
Have you ever been shot at? Shot at anyone?

But then she received that bullying call from Lamb and realized that O’Donnell was never going to answer these questions. And that led her to find out everything she could about JADE.

But clearly, there must be more behind her motivations. Or one would hope. As it is, she is unemployed and unable to pay her bail. She also has a 12-year-old daughter whom she supports.

The key factor of this case boils down to how the judge or jury will define harassment.

In a recent jailhouse interview, she told The Hook that her intention was never to harass the cops, only to satisfy her curiosity.

“It’s not illegal to publish the address,” argues Strom in an exclusive jailhouse interview nearly two weeks after her July 16 arrest. “It’s not illegal to publish the photograph. It’s illegal to do so with the intention of harassment.”

Virginia ACLU officials see similarities between Virginia’s police harassment law and a similar one in Washington state that was overturned by U.S. District Court in Sheehan v. Gregoire.

“Based on the Sheehan case, [Virginia] law is probably unconstitutional as written,” says Willis. “You can publish information about public officials to goad them to action. It can’t contain an actual threat to do physical harm.”

And having read through her entire blog, I have not seen a single threat nor any indication that she was acting maliciously.

But I do see a woman who probably needs to lay off the cops and get a job and take care of her daughter.

-30-

I am a multimedia journalist who has been fighting a lengthy legal battle after having photographed Miami police against their wishes in Feb. 2007. Please help the fight by donating to my Legal Defense Fund in the top left sidebar, which helps pay for the thousands of dollars I’ve acrued in debt since my arrest. To keep updated on the latest articles, join my networks at Facebook, Twitter and Friendfeed.

Comments

Anonymous

2 years ago

You know, thought there was something odd about that case when I first spotted it, seemed more a stalker thing than a police watchdog thing.

Good research on that one, Carlos!

Anonymous

2 years ago

I wonder how many criminal issues can be boiled down to this point: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Sounds like Elisha wanted the attention of the policemen she knew, by any means necessary -even if it was negative.

I guess we don’t have to worry about this case making it to the Supreme Court then, right?

Anonymous

2 years ago

I can see the point of not wanting to blow their cover. However, this is a narcotics enforcement group. I am a biological chemical physics researcher, and I happen to know of quite a bit of corruption and injustice in the federal and local narcotics business.

I guess that is somewhat off-topic, but it shines a light on the same kind of incompetence occurring in the general law enforcement area. For example, drug enforcement agencies frequently ban individual drugs whose possession cannot legally be prosecuted under analogue laws and which, according to solid research, show no potential to cause death or even mild injury. A classic example in the United States is benzylpiperazine (known widely as BZP, which is perfectly legal to buy and sell in Canada). The DEA, some years back, banned the drug permanently citing that it was “10 times the potency of amphetamine,” whereas in fact the figure was “one-tenth the potency…” This is another form of abuse of power by our right to consume any drug of our choice. I do not advocate abolishing drug control, but when our rights are stripped based on false information (e.g. resulting in federal agencies publishing blatantly false information and statements), it’s akin to revoking our first amendment rights.

Anonymous

2 years ago

While I find her views deplorable, it is people with cases like hers who prove the value of the First Amendment. If those who care enough to read your blog think that she is not entitled to constitutional protections, who will stand up when you are taken?

Anonymous

2 years ago

Elisha Strom lied about talking to you on the telephone. My guess is she lies about a lot of things.

She’s obsessed with hurting the reputation of Brian N. O’Donnell now, since he “crossed” or spurned her in some way.

Before, though, O’Donnell was her erstwhile ally in her obsession with destroying the reputation of her husband, Kevin Strom.

Maybe she lied about him, too. I just reread Mr. Strom’s side of the story at

http://www.kevinalfredstrom.com/2009/01/kevin-alfred-strom-address-to-th...

and I think it has the ring of truth to it. The documents and mp3 files tell an interesting story about a Psycho Wife From Hell and a man who doesn’t have the slightest interest in child porn.

I think Kevin Strom probably “scorned” her in some way or other a few years ago, bringing down her wrath.

He maintains his innocence, saying Elisha perjured herself and planted evidence, and says he only made a plea deal on one charge because he could never get a fair trial. (His views make him odious to most people, including jurors, and the media had already found him guilty.)

The judge threw out most of the charges that had been based on Elisha’s allegations, too, and apparently didn’t even believe most of what O’Donnell said.

I’ve also found out, thanks to another blogger, that O’Donnell is a pretty vindictive louse himself. According to the records of the Virginia Court of Appeals, he succeeded in sending a man, Michael Anthony Carter, to prison for “assaulting a police officer” because the man POINTED HIS FINGER at O’Donnell and said “pow.” Unbelievable.

Were Brian O’Donnell and Elisha Strom a couple? If so, they deserved each other.

Many of the things Elisha Strom admits she did were harassing or very unethical in nature, such as following an officer within inches of his bumper for miles, and entering into a sexual relationship with an officer in order to get inside information on Brian O’Donnell and JADE, among other things.

Because of her bizarre personality and behavior, this isn’t the kind of clear-cut First Amendment case I wish it was. I do think she was looking for something, anything, to destroy O’Donnell’s reputation and harm those of other JADE officers. Maybe she will succeed in this mission. I suspect she will say things at trial that she kept back on her blog.

On the broader question of the right of citizens to observe and record policemen in action, and publish news of police lies and police crimes, I say this: that right should be absolute. The Constitution wasn’t written to help the police. It was written to protect us from the police.

But I would also add that it is a legitimate and constitutional function of the law to protect all of us from stalkers and would-be destroyers of our private lives like Elisha Strom.

getreal

1 year ago

This is delayed, however, the last line of this commenters opinion sums things up very nicely. "...it is a legitimate and const. function of the law to protect all of us from stalkers and would-be destroyers of our private lives..."

This is ironic! Is it not the quasi-military MK Ultra Red Squad type stalkers (gangstalkers) in our community, that are IN FACT ruining COUNTLESS lives right this very moment?

They, law enforcement, military, civilian volunteers and junior cops/fbi actively stalk individuals, and ruin their lives. They DESTROY their targets, systematically, until, there's nothing left to take. Nothing.

You, seem to be a cop or something, or at least a cop-lover, and you quote the "law" like it is the bible. Why? Have you even lived a life that wasn't governed by brainwash induced bull? Do you even know, or care, what is going on in our country (and all over the world apparently) right now? Wake up. This entire post, and the fact that they targeted this woman, shows the lengths that THEY are willing to go to, with their slander of a woman who was merely exercising her rights to freedom (freedom of plain sight and public places). Isn't that LE's claim to fame?

You are right, but so blind at the same time. Do the world a favor & walk a mile in someone else's shoes, before you go reporting the news.

Anonymous

2 years ago

Dashfield,

Kevin Strom never had sex with in her entire marriage, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, so I’m sure this made her feel inadequate as a woman, which would lead to a woman being “scorned.”

But from the research I did, Kevin Strom got off light. They did find child porn on his computer.

Anonymous

2 years ago

First let me point out that cartoons of Anime is considered child porn by some in government.
So when the gubament says something take it with a bucket full of salt.

From the VA criminal code link:
“§ 18.2-186.4. Use of a person’s identity with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass; penalty.

It shall be unlawful for any person, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass another person, to publish the person’s name or photograph along with identifying information as defined in clauses (iii) through (ix), or clause (xii) of subsection C of § 18.2-186.3, including identification of the person’s primary residence address. Any person who violates this section is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Any person who violates this section knowing or having reason to know that person is a law-enforcement officer, as defined in § 9.1-101, is guilty of a Class 6 felony. The sentence shall include a mandatory minimum term of confinement of six months.”

(2001, cc. 775, 782; 2007, c. 736.)

I did not think laws separating punishment for government employees over civilians for the same crime were constitutional.

Anonymous

2 years ago

She is a dangerous nut-job and I hope she sits in jail for a long time.

Anonymous

2 years ago

I agree. White Supremacists, Black Panthers, Zionists and Hare Krishna’s shouldn’t be covered by the 1st Amendment.

And what is up with only charging her with one count of harassment? She’s had the blog up for a long time. should have charged her with 400 counts, one for every day.

Let’s see, 6 months times 400 is 200 years. Seems about right.

Anonymous

2 years ago

I disagree, Steveo. Everybody should be covered because once we start becoming selective, then what’s next?

Bloggers don’t get First Amendment rights?

Anonymous

2 years ago

The “Southern Poverty Law Center,” though a darling of the media, is not a credible source:

http://www.capitalresearch.org/pubs/pdf/v1185995987.pdf

Anonymous

2 years ago

Sorry, Carlos, I should have put (this is my New York sarcasm) in this parenthesis.

Anonymous

2 years ago

hehe, it’s ok steveo, i knew you were being sarcastic

Anonymous

2 years ago

As unpleasant as any of the people involved may be, we still really only have one correct solution:

Nuke Virginia. West Virginia too. It’s the only way to be sure.

/obvious_sarcasm

Anonymous

2 years ago

Steveo,

Damn, I’m usually the one making sarcastic comments that go over people’s heads.

Anonymous

2 years ago

Dashfield,

But it wasn’t the Southern Poverty Law Center that convicted this guy on child pornography.

What is your argument? That Kevin Strom is not a child pornographer?

Anonymous

2 years ago

Carlos:

You said “Kevin Strom never had sex with in her entire marriage, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.” I don’t doubt that the SPLC made that wacky claim, but it is wacky. How would they know that? The SPLC is more like a gossip-mongering and fundraising organization than anything else. It makes a lot of lurid claims.

http://www.ndtceda.com/pipermail/edebate/2000-December/028293.html

Kevin Strom does maintain his innocence and accuses Elisha of planting evidence and perjuring herself in a “scorned woman” scenario. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know.

But it does look like Elisha Strom’s obsession with Brian O’Donnell and JADE is another “scorned woman” situation.

Anonymous

2 years ago

The “Southern Poverty Law Center,” though a darling of the media, is not a credible source:

And neither is the Capital Research Center.

“The Capital Research Center came under fire in the 1990s for publishing studies highly critical of charities which engaged in anti-tobacco lobbying efforts.[9]. These charities include the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society. It was later revealed that tobacco giant Philip Morris provided $50,000 in funding to the Capital Research Center.[10]“

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_Research_Center

Anonymous

2 years ago

Dear Carlos:

You said, in reference to the SPLC not being a credible source, “And neither is the Capital Research Center.”

You’re probably right.

If the Wikipedia reference is right (and I assume it is), then both of them are money-motivated, and, what is even worse, politically motivated. That’s usually the kiss of death as far as truth and accuracy are concerned. (It’s just like with Congressmen. We all know most of them are crooks of one kind or another. But sometimes little bits of truth come out as they expose one another and try to rip each other to shreds.)

That’s why writers like you and other independent bloggers, without party of big-money connections, are such an improvement over the billionaires’ networks, and party hacks, and their kept “think tanks” and “researchers.”

So I’ll be skeptical of the CRC in the future. And I’ll continue being skeptical of the pronouncements of the SPLC.

Anonymous

2 years ago

While we’re at it

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Capital_Research_Center

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Southern_Poverty_Law_Center

Just another source there.

Anonymous

2 years ago

Dashfield,

During my intense research last night, I believe I read where Elisha Strom told the Southern Poverty Law Center they never had sex.

I wasn’t that interested in her relationship with him because I was researching the motives behind her obsession with JADE.

But there is plenty out there on Kevin Strom. He’s not a very likable guy so I have little sympathy for him.

Anonymous

2 years ago

OT, but I thought this statement humorous from SourceWatch regarding the CRC: “U.S. state governments revealed the close relationship between CRC and Philip Morris”, only in the irony that Philip Morris was in bed with the Federal Gov to get tobacco under FDA purview.

According to The Atlantic Constitution (via this American Legion article) the SPLC spending as a non-profit is upside down (18-31% on SPLC programs circa 1999, with a reported surplus of $175 million in 2006). If the article is correct the SPLC seems to be more about money these days.

As for Elisha Strom, I believe Angry White Female has always denied being Elisha. I found the site a number of years ago when tryng to track down the versions of neonazi, white supremecist, and white separatists infesting (the strike through code didn’t work?) inhabiting this country. Of course, she could be lying.

Anonymous

2 years ago

Being a white supremacist, albeit disgusting, has no bearing on this. Why did you even bring it up? I mean, beyond the titillation value?

And I am aware of at least one blogger who has been listed by SPLC for his writing on immigration: his opinion is based on legal objections and not ‘let’s all be mean to the brown people’, yet they have him on their site.

SPLC has become for too partisan to be taken seriously any more.

Anonymous

2 years ago

Why do I bring it up?

Well let’s see. The woman was married to a white supremacist who was arrested on child pornography charges.

The cop investigating the case spent 15 months gathering evidence against him through her statements.

She ends up obsessing over the cop. Even launches a blog which she dedicates to him.

She eventually gets arrested for her blog.

See the connection?

Anonymous

2 years ago

Since none of the police statements I’ve seen cite her racist activities, no, I don’t see the connection.

We’ve had this conversation before, Carlos: the 1st Amendment applies to all of us, no matter how noxious. Free speech protections aren’t needed for polite discourse, and as much as I hate to type this, when the State acts against the collection of drivel that is her website, we need to be concerned. Politics and world view don’t apply, no matter how disorganized or disgusting.

Anonymous

2 years ago

So let me get this straight.

You believe the First Amendment applies to all of us, yet you believe I should restrict my reporting to what it states in the police reports?

I don’t know where you are getting the idea that I am supporting police in this matter against her because of her views.

I couldn’t care less whether she is a white supremacist or not. It’s not like I’m dating her or anything.

And I hope she wins this case because of the First Amendment implications of it.

Also, my readers are curious as to who this woman is, which is why I provided her background.

Anonymous

2 years ago

“And I hope she wins this case because of the First Amendment implications of it.”

Carlos, I’m pleased to see this comment from you, but I wish you included it in the main post – at the top. The overall tone and substance of the blog post seemed to be anything but a vigorous defense of Ms. Strom’s right to publish. We can’t let the government get by with putting people in jail for what they write. I hope you, Radley, the ACLU and others who I look to and look up to for advocating freedom, mount as vigorous a propaganda war on behalf of this woman as you would if her content was one you vigorously approved of.

Anonymous

2 years ago

Scott,

I wish you and Peter can point out where in my post that I insinuate she should be incarcerated for her views or her writings.

Because as it is now, “the overall tone and substance” of your comments is that you guys are ultra sensitive when it comes to anything regarding white supremacists.

Anonymous

2 years ago

But if that’s the case, then come out and defend her and the white supremacist movement.

Stop beating around the bush and stop putting words in my mouth.

Anonymous

2 years ago

Carlos,
In this day and age of vitriolic charachter assasinations which frequently have little or nothing to do with the topic at hand, your original posting had all the signs and earmarks of one.

If I’ve misjudged your intent, I apologize.

PS: I followed some of the hyperlinks, and there is a difference between a racist and a racialist. The former wants to control and opress the ‘untermenschen’ (to coin a term) and the latter wants to live separated from them. Not that I’d want either as neighbors, but there it is.

Anonymous

2 years ago

The latter don’t want neighbors in general Peter, like Randy Weaver. For all the good it did him, mohamed came to the mountain.

Anonymous

2 years ago

I don’t know if she did anything illegal or not, but goddamn that is a lot of crazy stuff going on.

Anonymous

2 years ago

There’s even more evidence now that Elisha Strom was having a sexual affair with JADE Task Force detective Brian N. O’Donnell, whom she credits with “inspiring” her obsessive stalking, evidently after their relationship went bad.

This is really getting interesting.

Apparently this sexual affair took place during the trial of her husband, Kevin Alfred Strom, on child pornography and other charges. Kevin Strom maintains his innocence and says he was forced to plead guilty to one count because of perjury on Elisha Strom’s part and the suborning of that perjury by O’Donnell. O’Donnell was the investigator in Kevin Strom’s case. Elisha Strom was the only witness.

Elisha Strom has just posted a link to a recorded telephone conversation she had with said Brian O’Donnell, in which it is quite clear she spent the night with O’Donnell on at least one occasion. He is very nervous about his wife finding out about his relationship with Strom. O’Donnell also expresses fear about possible repercussions to his career on the Joint Terrorism Task Force and JADE task force and to his career as a Charlottesville Police Detective.

O’Donnell states flatly that Elisha Strom lied to him on several occasions.

Link on the I Hearte JADE site by Elisha Strom:
http://iheartejade.blogspot.com/2009/11/five-fer-friday.html

Link to mp3 of the phone conversation:
http://www.upload-mp3.com/files/116457_vyhex/BrianODonnell-games.mp3

Transcript of conversation:
Detective Brian N. O’Donnell: Of course I got upset. So yeah, I said things… You there?

Elisha Strom: Yeah, I’m thinking.

Detective Brian N. O’Donnell: That was a good rant. I didn’t want to waste it on thin air. I thought you hung up.

Elisha Strom: No, no. It was wonderful, fantastic, delightful.

Detective Brian N. O’Donnell: (laughs) The point is…

Elisha Strom: (laughs)

Detective Brian N. O’Donnell: The point is, OK, you know, you treat me like shit. You have lied to me. You said you haven’t lied, and you have. I know you have. I’m not going to get into how I know, but I know you have. You were playing games. That’s NOT RIGHT.

Elisha Strom: I was not playing games.

Detective Brian N. O’Donnell: You are now. Even mentioning my wife makes me nervous. You spend the whole night over here. You don’t seem to understand. I’m a Task Force officer. I’m a Charlottesville Police detective. It’s only your word right now. There you go.

Elisha Strom: I didn’t bring anything up!

Detective Brian N. O’Donnell: Well thank you. That was decent of you. I meant that sincerely.

Elisha Strom: You know, you are just so arrogant –

Detective Brian N. O’Donnell: Is that — is that fair to say? I was actually thinking that about you.

Elisha Strom: (sighs)

Detective Brian N. O’Donnell: Hey, you know what? It’s your decision. It’s your decision. It really is. So, I will call you tomorrow. See ya.

Anonymous

2 years ago

Apparently she’s been arrested yet again, this time for violating her court order:

http://www.charlottesvilletimes.com/2010/03/elisha-strom-arrested-again/