The Malheur Refuge standoff was a 41-day armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Oregon that ran from January 2 to February 11, 2016. Brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy led a group of anti-government militants who seized the refuge headquarters to protest federal land management and demand the release of two local ranchers imprisoned for arson. One occupier was shot and killed by police during the standoff, 26 people were ultimately charged in federal court, and the Bundy brothers were acquitted of the central conspiracy charge by an Oregon jury.
What Set It Off: The Hammond Arson Case
The occupation was triggered by the re-imprisonment of Dwight Hammond Jr. and his son Steven Hammond, cattle ranchers from Diamond, Oregon. In June 2012, a Pendleton jury convicted both men of arson for a 2001 fire that burned 139 acres of Bureau of Land Management land. Witnesses testified the fire was set to cover up illegal deer poaching. Steven Hammond was also convicted for a 2006 fire he started during a burn ban without notifying the BLM, endangering federal firefighters.1U.S. Department of Justice. Eastern Oregon Ranchers Convicted of Arson Resentenced to Five Years in Prison
Federal law required a five-year minimum sentence for arson on federal land. The trial judge, Michael Hogan, initially imposed shorter terms, calling the mandatory minimum “grossly disproportionate.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office appealed, and the Ninth Circuit reversed. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case, and in October 2015 Chief U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken resentenced both men to five years, crediting time already served.1U.S. Department of Justice. Eastern Oregon Ranchers Convicted of Arson Resentenced to Five Years in Prison Their return to prison in early 2016 drew the Bundy family to Harney County.
Who the Bundys Were Going In
The Bundys were already known. In 2014, patriarch Cliven Bundy defied a court order allowing the BLM to impound his cattle, which had been grazing on public land for two decades without payment. Cliven owed more than $1 million in unpaid fees and fines.2OPB. Cliven Bundy Nevada Oregon Bureau of Land Management Government Case Dismissed When federal agents moved to round up the cattle near Bunkerville, Nevada, armed militia members confronted them, and the agents withdrew. The retreat turned the Bundys into icons of the anti-federal-land movement.3Center for Western Priorities. The Legacy of the Bundy Bunkerville Standoff
Federal authorities eventually indicted Cliven, Ammon, Ryan, and militia leader Ryan Payne on felony charges tied to Bunkerville. That case collapsed in January 2018 when U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro dismissed the indictment with prejudice, citing “flagrant misconduct” by prosecutors who had withheld more than 1,000 pages of evidence, including FBI tactical logs, threat assessments indicating the Bundys were not violent, and records of federal snipers near the ranch.4The Oregonian. Cliven Bundy Standoff Case Thrown Out The Ninth Circuit denied the government’s appeal in August 2020.5The Washington Post. U.S. Appeals Court Denies Bid to Resurrect Bundy Standoff Case
The Occupation
On January 2, 2016, after a rally in Burns, Oregon, in support of the Hammonds, Ammon Bundy led a group of armed militants to the Malheur refuge headquarters about 35 miles south of town. Calling themselves “Citizens for Constitutional Freedom,” they seized the buildings and announced they would stay until the Hammonds were released and federal lands in the region were turned over to state or local control.6OPB. Malheur Occupation Anniversary Southeast Oregon Harney County They argued the Constitution prohibited federal ownership of the land, citing Article I, Section 8, Clause 17.7High Country News. The Darkness at the Heart of Malheur
The occupiers were a mix of militia members, anti-government activists, and self-described constitutionalists from several states. Among the most prominent were Ryan Bundy, Ryan Payne, Jon Ritzheimer, and Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, an Arizona rancher who served as the group’s spokesman. Harney County Sheriff David Ward said the situation was “tearing our community apart.”6OPB. Malheur Occupation Anniversary Southeast Oregon Harney County The Burns Paiute Tribe, whose ancestral lands include the refuge and whose cultural artifacts were housed on-site, condemned the occupation as a desecration and feared damage or theft of more than 4,000 tribal artifacts kept there.8OPB. Burns Paiute Tribe Malheur Refuge Artifacts
The Killing of LaVoy Finicum
On January 26, 2016, law enforcement intercepted a group of occupation leaders on U.S. Highway 395. During the stop, Oregon State Police troopers shot and killed LaVoy Finicum. Ammon Bundy, Ryan Bundy, Shawna Cox, Ryan Payne, and others were arrested at the scene or shortly after.9The Oregonian. Oregon Standoff Timeline: 41 Days of the Malheur Refuge Occupation
An investigation led by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and reviewed by Malheur County District Attorney Dan Norris concluded on March 8, 2016, that the shooting was “justified and, in fact, necessary.” Investigators found OSP troopers fired six of the eight total shots, three of which struck Finicum in the back as he reached toward a loaded 9mm handgun in his jacket pocket.10Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. March 8 Press Conference The autopsy confirmed three gunshot wounds to the torso, all from OSP rounds.11OPB. LaVoy Finicum Shooting Death Investigation
Two additional shots had been fired by members of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team, and those agents had not disclosed firing their weapons to investigators. The Department of Justice Inspector General opened a separate investigation. In June 2017, FBI agent W. Joseph Astarita was charged with obstruction of justice and making false statements about firing his weapon.12U.S. Department of Justice. Jury Delivers Verdicts in Trial of FBI Special Agent A Portland jury acquitted Astarita of all charges on August 10, 2018. Prosecutors acknowledged they lacked eyewitness testimony or physical evidence directly linking him to the two shots.13OPB. Astarita FBI Finicum Malheur Occupation Bundy Trial Acquittal
How It Ended
After the January 26 arrests, Ammon Bundy urged the remaining occupiers from jail to “please stand down.” Most complied, but four holdouts stayed on. On February 10, the FBI moved in on the last four: Sean Anderson, Sandra Anderson, Jeff Banta, and David Fry. All four surrendered the next day, February 11, 2016, ending the occupation on its 41st day.9The Oregonian. Oregon Standoff Timeline: 41 Days of the Malheur Refuge Occupation
The Federal Trials
A federal grand jury in Oregon indicted 26 people on charges including conspiracy to impede federal officers by force, threat, or intimidation, along with counts of possessing firearms in a federal facility, theft of government property, depredation of government property, trespassing, and tampering with vehicles and equipment.14High Country News. Acquitted, Convicted, Fined, or Free: Malheur Sentences The cases were heard in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon in Portland before Judge Anna Brown.
The Bundy Acquittal
The first trial lasted six weeks and focused on seven defendants: Ammon Bundy, Ryan Bundy, Shawna Cox, David Fry, Jeff Banta, Kenneth Medenbach, and Neil Wampler. On October 27, 2016, the jury acquitted all seven of the primary conspiracy charge. Ryan Bundy was also acquitted of a firearms charge, and the jury could not reach a verdict on a theft of government property charge against him.15OPB. Ammon Bundy Verdict Oregon Standoff Malheur Court The verdict stunned prosecutors and became the most consequential outcome of the entire prosecution.
The courtroom turned chaotic after the reading. Ammon Bundy’s attorney, Marcus Mumford, demanded his client’s immediate release, but Judge Brown explained Bundy was being held on the pending Bunkerville case in Nevada. Mumford persisted and raised his voice at the judge; U.S. Marshals tackled him and used a stun gun on him.16The Oregonian. As Trial Ends Surreal Scene in Courtroom Mumford was cited for two misdemeanors, and federal prosecutors later moved to drop the charges.17OPB. Charges Dropped Against Marcus Mumford, Ammon Bundy Attorney
The Second Trial
A second trial for four remaining defendants ended on March 10, 2017. Jason Patrick and Darryl Thorn were convicted of conspiracy to impede federal employees. Duane Ehmer and Jake Ryan were convicted of depredation of government property for using an excavator to dig trenches on protected land. Thorn was also convicted of carrying a firearm into a federal facility.18NPR. Two Convicted of Conspiracy in Trial of Second Group of Oregon Occupiers
Pleas and Sentences
Eleven defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy, and three pleaded guilty to misdemeanor trespassing. Charges against Pete Santilli were dropped in September 2016. Sentences handed down included:19U.S. Department of Justice. Final Defendant Sentenced for Armed Takeover of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
- Ryan Payne received 37 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $10,000 in restitution.
- Corey Lequieu received 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
- Jason Patrick received 21 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $10,000 in restitution.
- Darryl Thorn received 18 months in prison and $5,000 in restitution.
- Jon Ritzheimer received one year and one day in prison, one year in a residential reentry center, three years of supervised release, and $10,000 in restitution.
- Duane Ehmer and Jake Ryan each received one year in prison, three years of supervised release, and $10,000 in restitution.
- Brian Cavalier and Joe O’Shaughnessy received time served, supervised release, and $7,000 restitution each.
- Sean, Sandra, and Dylan Anderson received one year of probation each and $1,000 restitution for misdemeanor trespassing.
Several other defendants who pleaded guilty received probation and restitution orders ranging from $3,000 to $7,000. Restitution went to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Friends of the Malheur Refuge, and the Burns Paiute Tribe.14High Country News. Acquitted, Convicted, Fined, or Free: Malheur Sentences
What the Occupation Cost
A July 2016 court filing by the Department of the Interior put total costs above $6 million, and the law enforcement response alone cost roughly $12 million.20OPB. Damage Dollars Million Restitution Pay The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spent $4.3 million repairing damaged buildings, rebuilding kicked-in walls, and cleaning up refuse. Another $2 million went to placing temporary law enforcement officers at understaffed refuges across the West.21High Country News. Revisiting Malheur One Year After the Occupation Occupiers bulldozed a new road through native grasses, and the annual project to remove invasive common carp from Malheur Lake could not be completed. Although the government initially sought more than $920,000 in restitution, the 13 defendants ordered to pay agreed to a total of just $78,000.
Most of the 188,000-acre refuge reopened to the public within about a year, though the headquarters, museum, and visitor center stayed closed longer while the Fish and Wildlife Service improved building security.21High Country News. Revisiting Malheur One Year After the Occupation
The Hammonds Were Pardoned
On July 10, 2018, President Donald Trump granted full pardons to Dwight and Steven Hammond, saying “justice is overdue.” At the time, Dwight had served roughly three years and Steven roughly four years of their five-year sentences.22NPR. President Trump Pardons Ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond Over Arson The White House described the mandatory minimum push as “overzealous.” Oregon Republican Congressman Greg Walden, who had formally requested clemency, called the pardon “a win for justice.”23High Country News. Donald Trump Pardons Oregon Ranchers Whose Arrest Sparked Malheur Standoff
Conservation groups criticized the pardons. Geoffrey Haskett, president of the National Wildlife Refuge Association, said the decision “bolsters those intent on destroying federal property and endangering federal employees.”22NPR. President Trump Pardons Ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond Over Arson Ryan Bundy said the pardon provided “legitimacy” to the occupation.24OPB. Dwight Steven Hammond Oregon Bundy Occupation Malheur Pardon
Where Ammon Bundy Ended Up
After his acquittal, Ammon Bundy relocated to Idaho and kept up his activism. In March 2020, he founded People’s Rights, a far-right network organized against Idaho Governor Brad Little’s COVID-19 restrictions. The group claims roughly 65,000 members.25Anti-Defamation League. Ammon Bundy and People’s Rights
In 2022, Bundy ran for governor of Idaho, first as a Republican and then as an Independent after calling the state GOP “corrupt and wicked.” He finished third with roughly 100,000 votes.25Anti-Defamation League. Ammon Bundy and People’s Rights That same year, Bundy and associate Diego Rodriguez publicly accused St. Luke’s Health System in Boise of “trafficking and kidnapping children.” Bundy’s protests briefly forced the hospital’s downtown campus into lockdown, diverting ambulances and patients.26Idaho Capital Sun. St. Luke’s Hospital System Sues Bundy, Rodriguez, People’s Rights, and Others
St. Luke’s sued for defamation. Bundy failed to appear at multiple hearings and a default judgment of $52 million was entered against him, accruing interest at 10.25 percent annually. As of September 2025, the judgment stood at $60.2 million.27Boise State Public Radio. Ammon Bundy In August 2025, a federal bankruptcy judge ruled Bundy cannot discharge the debt through Chapter 7, finding it was incurred through “willful and malicious” conduct. Court filings revealed Bundy has not paid state or federal income taxes since 2018.28OPB. Federal Judge: Ammon Bundy Must Pay $52 Million Civil Court Judgment The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge remains under federal management.