No bail for man in gun case

Times Union Albany, NY/August 16, 2000

Albany Police say man in car with loaded rifle is part of Illinois hate group

A Connecticut man, who authorities say is a member of a white supremacist group, was denied bail Tuesday on a federal gun possession charge. Because Bruce Silvernail, 28, of Terryville, Conn., has no job or significant family ties and an alleged affiliation with a violent group, he poses an escape risk, U.S. District Judge David Homer ruled.

Cambridge police stopped Silvernail and two friends in Washington County Aug. 5. Police discovered a loaded shotgun and a loaded automatic rifle in the hatchback, within view, said Michael Lawrence, a special agent for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Police also found a loaded, stolen revolver in a zipped duffel bag, a rifle and ammunition.

At Tuesday's bail hearing in U.S. District Court, Silvernail denied belonging to any white supremacy group. But police found Bibles, business cards and videos belonging to the World Church of the Creator, a hate group based in Illinois, in the car Silvernail was riding in, said Lawrence. Authorities also said Silvernail has tattoos of swastikas and a portrait of Hitler on his back.

With a 1995 conviction for illegal intimidation in his home state, Silvernail is not allowed to own or possess a firearm. He faces a maximum prison term of 10 years if convicted on the gun charge. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 21.