Key Oregon standoff figure gets three years in prison

PORTLAND (AP) — A military veteran described as the architect of the armed takeover of a national wildlife refuge was sentenced Tuesday to three years and a month in prison, the longest sentence for anyone convicted in the case.

At the federal courthouse in Portland, Ryan Payne of Anaconda, Mont., apologized to those disrupted by his actions and to the American people in general. He also promised to sever ties with militia groups.

Payne, 34, helped seize the bird sanctuary in southeastern Oregon on Jan. 2, 2016, in a protest against federal control of Western lands and the imprisonment of two ranchers convicted of setting fires. He and standoff leader Ammon Bundy had come to Oregon two months earlier, warning Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward of civil unrest unless he told the federal government that ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond would not report to prison.

Federal prosecutors said Payne had a leadership role during the ensuing occupation. In charge of defense, he coordinated armed guards and provided tactical training.

Payne pleaded guilty to conspiracy in July 2016, and later unsuccessfully tried to withdraw his plea. The sentencing was pushed back until after the outcome of his trial on charges stemming from a standoff with federal agents at a Nevada ranch owned by Ammon Bundy’s father, Cliven.

The judge in the Nevada case dismissed charges against Payne and the Bundys last month, citing federal prosecutors’ misconduct with evidence.

Payne’s lawyer, Lisa Hay, argued for a sentence of two years.