Three Spokane protesters were convicted of federal conspiracy charges Thursday and now await their sentencing.
The protestors face up to six years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.
Jac Archer, Justice Forral and Bajun Mavalwalla II were arrested for trying to prevent federal officers from transporting two detained immigrants from Spokane to Tacoma in June 2025.
The trio, dubbed the “Spokane 3,” were among hundreds who responded to a Facebook post by former City Council President Ben Stuckart last summer that called for people to join him in blocking the transfer bus.
Stuckart was a sponsor for one of the two detained immigrants. Both were in the United States seeking asylum.
Nine of the protesters, including Stuckart, were arrested on conspiracy charges. Stuckart was among six who took guilty pleas for reduced sentences.
Thursday’s verdict
After a jury handed down the verdict Thursday, Washington State Representative Natasha Hill, D-Spokane, thanked people who supported the defendants through the nearly two-week trial — but called out Stuckart for not showing up.
“You started this and you couldn’t even show up to finish it,” she said. “So I call on you, and I call on others to do what you said you were going to do, and stand up for your community because the fight is not over with this conviction.”
Stuckart posted on Facebook Thursday night that he was told attending the trial could violate the terms of his parole.
“I feel awful about the guilty verdict. I feel awful for Jac, Bajun and Justice and their families. I support those that took plea deals, and I support those that went to trial,” Stuckart wrote.
‘Making an example’
Bajun Mavalwalla, Sr., the father of one of the protesters and a congressional candidate, said federal attorneys wanted to make an example of his son.
He said he believed the federal government is trying to deter people around the country from speaking out against immigration enforcement policy.
“The right to protest, the right to dissent, the right to assemble—all of those things are now in question because of this case,” he said. "In other cases across the country, the juries were not tainted and the cases have been thrown out.”
Mavalwalla, Sr., said he hopes that will happen in this case as well.
The Spokesman Review reported that in her closing statement, U.S. Attorney Lisa Cartier-Giroux said that the protesters had planned to block federal agents from leaving and that agents felt afraid as the protest grew in size.
Defense attorneys said they expect to appeal the conviction.
The Northwest News Network’s Adia White contributed to this report.