08:04 PM PST on Monday, March 29, 2004

By TERESA BELL, kgw.com Staff

VICTORIA, B.C – An accused eco-terrorist who goes by the name ‘Tre Arrow’ appeared in a Victoria, British Columbia court Monday for shoplifting charges and said he would fight extradition to the U.S.

The FBI had issued wanted posters during the manhunt for Michael Scarpitti. (KGW Photo)

Tre Arrow, whose real name is Michael Scarpitti, was on the FBI's Most Wanted list as a domestic terrorist since disappearing about two years ago.

Scarpitti is accused of setting fire to logging trucks in Oregon three years ago in environmental protests.

Scarpitti was recently arrested on charges of theft, assault and obstruction in Canada, after police said he was caught trying to steal bolt cutters. His arraignment on those charges is now set for April 20.

Outside court Monday, a group of people read a statement on his behalf, saying Scarpitti is on a hunger strike to protest his incarceration and the lack of justice in the U.S. judicial system.

Scarpitti's lawyer, Tim Russell, said his client is doing OK for now and it's not known how long the fast will continue.

Federal officials said Scarpitti has connections to the eco-terror group Earth Liberation Front, which is listed as the FBI's No. 1 priority among domestic terrorist organizations. ELF has claimed responsibility for dozens of crimes over the past several years.

Scarpitti faces charges of the use of fire to commit a felony, destruction of vehicles used in interstate commerce by means of fire, interference with commerce by violence, use of an incendiary destructive device during and in relation to a crime of violence.

He first gained notoriety in July 2000 when he scaled a U.S. Forest Service building in downtown Portland and lived on a ledge for 11 days to protest timber policies. Scarpitti identified himself as Tre Arrow when he ran for Congress that year on the Pacific Green Party ticket against Earl Blumenauer.

But Scarpitti’s activities allegedly turned violent a year later.

Scarpitti was accused of taking part in an April 15, 2001 arson attack that damaged three cement trucks at Ross Island Sand & Gravel in Portland. The damage totaled about $210,000. The Earth Liberation Front claimed responsibility for the fire-bombing.

On June 1, 2001, he and three other activists allegedly set fire to trucks belonging to the Ray Schoppert Logging Co. in Eagle Creek, Ore. One truck was destroyed and two others were damaged. The trucks were parked at the company’s building on Highway 224 near Estacada when the fire ignited. Schoppert Logging was under contract to start logging in the Eagle Creek area of the Mount Hood National Forest on the day of the fire bombing, the FBI said.

(AP contributed to this article.)