CROSSLIN WARNED OF POSSIBLE SHOOTOUT

CASSOPOLIS -- More than two years before a five-day standoff with police
would leave him dead and buildings at his Rainbow Farm campground burned to
the ground, Tom Crosslin already was forecasting his fate.

"I have discussed this with my family and we are all prepared to die on
this land before we allow it to be stolen from us," Crosslin wrote in a
March 29, 1999, letter to Cass County Prosecutor Scott Teter. Teter had
sent Crosslin a letter five days earlier warning him he could lose his
34-acre farm if drug use and distribution there continued.

"How should we be prepared to die?" Crosslin asked. "Are you planning to
burn us out like they did in Waco, or will you have snipers shoot us
through our windows like the Weavers in Ruby Ridge?

"Maybe the Governor can call in the National Guard for another Kent State?"

While Crosslin's statement seems prophetic, Teter said during a press
conference Thursday that law enforcement officials made every effort to
avoid violence and the use of force in their dealings with Crosslin, 46,
and his 28-year-old partner, Rolland Rohm.

"This a tragedy that could have easily been avoided," Teter said. "We
wanted to avoid having a highly combustible dangerous situation, we wanted
to avoid a Kent State situation.

"Although it took longer, we thought if we took it (to) the court system,
where Mr. Crosslin could present his side and we could present our side, we
could avoid a potentially dangerous confrontation. Unfortunately, that
didn't happen."

Crosslin was shot to death Monday after authorities said he pointed a gun
at an FBI agent. Rohm was killed by police Tuesday after he exited the
farm's main house, which had been set on fire, and aimed a gun at a
Michigan State Police officer, authorities said.

The standoff began Friday after Crosslin missed a bond revocation hearing
and neighbors reported he was burning buildings. The Cass County Sheriff's
Department said an anonymous call warned them the fire was set up to ambush
police, so officers set up a perimeter around the camp for safety reasons.

The FBI became involved after reports that shots had been fired from the
campground at a WNDU-TV news helicopter and an unmarked police plane.

Critics say Teter and other law enforcement went overboard in pursuing
Crosslin and Rohm, who favored the decriminalization of marijuana, and
pressured the two men to their breaking point.

"Remember, we are pacifists, we do not allow weapons on our farm," said
Crosslin in the same 1999 letter to Teter. "We are striving to bring about
peaceful change from within the system of laws set up for that purpose."

Yet in the same letter, Crosslin hinted at a more violent means.

"Our friends at the Michigan Militia have their ideas of how we should
handle your threats," Crosslin said. "But as I said, we are pursuing a
peaceful change ..."

"You have the opportunity to help us change the world in a positive
direction or you have the opportunity to continue the path you are on and
have the blood of a government massacre on your hands."

Legalization Of Marijuana Not The Issue

Teter denied his actions had anything to do with Crosslin's political beliefs.

"This is not about whether or not marijuana should be legalized," Teter
said. "I understand Mr. Crosslin felt very strongly for that belief. I have
no problem with people believing that. But you can't disobey the laws you
don't believe in."

Teter said police first heard about the Rainbow Farm festivals in the
summer of 1997, when they began receiving complaints of trespassing,
littering, noise and property damage. Law enforcement officials began
gathering evidence over the next year and sent several warnings to Crosslin
of possible legal action, but none was taken due to lack of sufficient
evidence, the prosecutor said.

In the summer of 1999, Teter said law enforcement officials attempted to
shut down the farm's operations based on a lack of permits for "large
gatherings" and failure to comply with county health codes for campgrounds.

Crosslin responded by obtaining a temporary campground permit and a
non-profit status for the farm which excluded him from the county " large
gathering" ordinance, the prosecutor said. After receiving the permits,
Teter dropped his complaints against the farm.

That same summer, undercover officers observed widespread drug use and
sales during festivals and were able to purchase "liquid" acid and
marijuana, Teter said.

In the summer of 2000, investigations were increased, and a confidential
informant became one of 20 Rainbow Farm employees. The informant reported
employees were paid strictly in cash, with no taxes being withheld.

Officers Able To Buy Drugs

At the same time, undercover officers from the Southwest Michigan
Enforcement Team were able to buy marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine,
hashish, LSD, mushrooms and prescription drugs at four festivals at Rainbow
Farm from 1999 through April of this year, Teter said.

"We're not talking about the selective private use of marijuana - that's
not what was occurring there," Teter said. "We're talking about the
widespread use and distribution of not only marijuana, but virtually every
other controlled substance available.

"(Our undercover officers) were able to purchase everything but heroin."

Teter showed a short video of what he said were about a dozen drug
transactions and instances of drug use on various dates during the two-year
period, including shots of festival security guards smoking marijuana.

Police officials said students as young as 14 from Buchanan, Lakeshore,
Bridgman, Coloma and other area high schools had attended the festival
concerts in the two years SWET was working undercover at Rainbow Farm.

On the morning of April 21, Konrad Hornack, a Coloma High School student
from Eau Claire, was killed when he drove his vehicle into a school bus
carrying the Eau Claire High School softball team after he attended what
was billed as the 420 Festival at the farm.

A toxicology report showed marijuana in his bloodstream. The amount was
enough to impair his driving and judgment of space and distance, the doctor
making the report said.

"The potential risk to citizens of our community with 3,000-4,000 people
coming in, using controlled substances and then entering onto the roads of
our communities," left him no choice but to act, Teter said. "When they
market festivals at the high schools, I have no choice.

"And when a young man drives into a school bus because of what he was
involved out there and kills himself, I have no choice.

"Mr. Crosslin and Mr. Rohm had a choice. What happened doesn't mean they're
bad people, it just means they made bad choices."

Drugs found at farm

State police believe Rohm was going to surrender after a deal was struck
for him to talk with his 13-year-old son who was removed from the home in
May after Crosslin and Rohm, along with three others, were arrested on drug
and weapons charges.

The five were arrested after police executed a search warrant - originally
for business records - at the farm and found 301 marijuana plants, growing
equipment and three loaded guns.

After the arrests, Teter said complaints were filed seeking forfeiture of
the property and a temporary injunction against holding any more festivals.

Crosslin was released on $150,000 bond and charged with marijuana
manufacture, maintaining a drug house, and possession of a firearm while
committing a felony. Because of a prior felony conviction in 1995 for
attempted assault with a deadly weapon, Crosslin was ineligible to own a
pistol and was also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. Rohm
was released on $25,000 bond.

Police believe the boy's removal may have been a catalyst for the standoff,
but Teter said law enforcement officials made efforts to keep the boy in
contact with his father.

A May 16 court order allowed Rohm weekly visitation with his son, even
though Rohm faced up to 15 years in prison and was not entitled to any
visitation, Teter said.

"The child was living in the house at the time of the arrests," Teter said.
"He was living on top of the growing operation and among the unsecured
weapons. Anytime a child is found in a home with controlled substance we
are required to fill out a report to the state."

Teter said all reports showed the visitations seemed to be going well.

Court Order Violated

Despite several more orders extending the prohibition of festivals planned
throughout this summer, a small festival was held Aug. 17-18.An undercover
officer attended the event and was passed a pipe containing marijuana by
Crosslin and also witnessed Rohm smoking marijuana, Teter said.

On Aug. 2., Teter filed motions to revoke the two men's bonds and hold
Crosslin in contempt for violating the injunction against holding
festivals. A hearing was set for 1:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 31.

Crosslin and Rohm failed to show and Teter said reports of fires being set
at Rainbow Farms had already been reported.