Neo-Nazi Pleads to Terrorizing as Leith, N.D., Takeover Drama Comes to a Close
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The part black and completely over the top white supremacist Craig Cobb pleaded guilty Thursday to menacing and terrorizing the residents of the tiny town of Leith, N.D., which he once hoped to buy up and turn into an all-Aryan enclave called
"I apologize for my behavior and I regret my actions,鈥� Cobb told a judge in a Burleigh County courtroom,
Cobb鈥檚 soft-spoken plea was part of an agreement with prosecutors that apparently will spare the 62-year-old racist, much more jail time or a lengthy prison sentence, the Herald said.
Except for the few days he spent on a as he put it, Cobb has been locked up in the Mercer County Jail since Nov. 16. That鈥檚 when he was arrested and charged with seven counts of terrorizing as he led his racist acolyte and roommate, Kynan Dutton, on an armed 鈥減atrol鈥� of Leith. Dutton, 29, pleaded guilty to lesser charges and was released in January after agreeing to testify against Cobb.
was recorded on a cell phone camera by Dutton鈥檚 girlfriend and later posted to the Internet by some of Cobb鈥檚 fellow white supremacists in an apparent 鈥� and successful 鈥� attempt to mock and embarrass Cobb.
鈥淗ey, f---听you with your double-talk Christian shit, man,鈥� Cobb shouted at a resident watching the armed men walk through the town of 16. 鈥淵ou act like a man. You go up there and tell the rest of them to comport themselves with some goddamned dignity. F---听you. You f------听k---, Jew c---------.鈥�
鈥淚 can only control my own behavior,鈥� the resident responded. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 control what everyone else does.鈥�
鈥淚 can control mine, too,鈥� Cobb said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not shooting you, am I? F---听you.鈥�
Cobb鈥檚 dream 鈥� Leith鈥檚 nightmare 鈥� to create an all-white bastion of racists in North Dakota was first reported by the Bismarck Tribune and Hatewatch last summer.
Since his arrest, Cobb appears to have been dreaming of getting as far away from Leith as he can. ,鈥� he told The Associated Press last November. In the meantime, he鈥檚 deeded the ramshackle house with no running water that he brought sight unseen for $5,000 to a third party unrelated to his racist schemes, according to the Herald. He is also reportedly deeding other properties he owned in Leith to the city or a third party.
As part of his deal with prosecutors, according to the Herald, Cobb pleaded guilty to one count of terrorizing, a felony, and five misdemeanor counts of menacing. Under the agreement, the paper reported, Cobb will have to serve four years of supervised probation, but prosecutors will not seek any more jail time.
The judge in the case, David Reich, postponed sentencing, however, saying he wanted more information about Cobb鈥檚 background. Judge Reich ordered a pre-sentence investigation and Cobb was returned to the lockup where he will have plenty of time to think about the fateful patrol that shattered his dreams.
鈥淒o you think this is going to win people over to what you鈥檙e trying to do?鈥� a resident asked as Cobb walked through Leith with a rifle.
鈥淗ey, listen, a------,鈥� Cobb shouted back. 鈥淚鈥檓 one of the most famous racists in the world, you son of a b----. Don鈥檛 talk to me about winning people over.鈥�
鈥淚 know you are,鈥� the resident said. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 asking, do you think this is going to win people over?鈥�
鈥淛ackasses like you, we don鈥檛 care,鈥� Cobb said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e a tool of the k----.鈥�
鈥淚 pray for you every day,鈥� the man responded.
鈥淔---听you,鈥� Cobb said.
The judge has some thinking to do.
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