The Department of Justice (DOJ) charged two more abortion activists Wednesday for their role in an attack on a Winter Haven, Florida, pregnancy resource center.
According to a DOJ press release, Gabriella Oropesa and Annarella Rivera were charged for their roles in the June 2022 attack, which included acts of vandalism and spray-painted threats, with messages including, “If abortions aren’t safe than niether [sic] are you,” “YOUR TIME IS UP!!,” “WE’RE COMING for U,” and “We are everywhere.” Their co-conspirators, Caleb Freestone, 27, and Amber Smith-Steward, 23, were charged with the same offenses in January.
The DOJ is charging Rivera, along with Freestone and Smith-Steward, for FACE Act violations “by using threats of force to intimidate and interfere with the employees of a reproductive health services facility in Winter Haven because those employees were providing or seeking to provide reproductive health services” and “by intentionally damaging and destroying the facility’s property because the facility provides reproductive health services.”
Live Action News previously shared the story of the pregnancy resource center attack, which occurred at LifeChoice Pregnancy Center in Winter Haven on the weekend of June 25. It was just one of many such attacks against pro-life offices and pregnancy resource centers from abortion activists following the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade.
If convicted, Rivera, Freestone, and Smith-Stewart each face up to a maximum of 12 years in prison, three years of supervised release, as well as fines of up to $350,000. Oropesa faces up to a maximum of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
In addition to the federal indictment, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed similar state charges against Freestone and Smith-Steward on Wednesday.
Antifa and Jane’s Revenge are criminal organizations and must answer for their illegal acts in Florida. I am taking action to hold their members accountable for attempting to intimidate and threaten law-abiding citizens in our state.https://t.co/sSjehnyZLl pic.twitter.com/gBKIRYLW5g
— AG Ashley Moody (@AGAshleyMoody) March 30, 2023
“Antifa and Jane’s Revenge are criminal organizations and must answer for their crimes in Florida,” Moody said. “I am taking action to hold their members accountable for attempting to intimidate and threaten law-abiding citizens in our state.”
If convicted for the Florida charges, the duo face fines of $30,000 in damages, as well as civil penalties of $140,000 each.