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Texas man pleads guilty in attempted bombing

By WTOP Staff

PLANO, Texas (AP) — A man charged with trying to blow up a North Texas natural gas pipeline in 2012 pleaded guilty late Monday to two of the charges he faced at trial.

Anson Chi, 35, entered the plea after the end of a full day of jury selection for the federal court trial in Plano, Texas. The Dallas Morning News reported (http://bit.ly/TxY6Hn ) Chi pleaded guilty to possessing a destructive device that was not registered as required by law. Chi also pleaded guilty to a charge of using that explosive device maliciously.

“Our main objective was to get a conviction,” said prosecutor Andrew Stover. “These are crimes of violence. It’s very dangerous what happened.”

Chi was arrested in 2012 in Plano, northeast of Dallas, near a small explosion by a natural-gas pipeline. The blast caused minimal damage but critically injured Chi.

Chi’s sentence is left to the discretion of U.S. District Judge Richard Schell, but he retains the right to argue sentencing-related issues and, in some cases, to appeal, said Garland Cardwell, Chi’s court-appointed standby counsel. Chi was serving as his own attorney but had Cardwell to consult on legal issues.

“This offer was something he didn’t have before,” Cardwell said. “This gives him more opportunity to have a say in his sentence.”

No date has been set for his sentencing.

Chi corresponded with imprisoned Unabomber Ted Kaczynski until Kaczynski told him to stop writing, according to letters reviewed by The News. Kaczynski is serving life in prison for killing three people and injuring 23 during a nationwide bombing spree between 1978 and 1995.

Chi contacted Kaczynski for feedback on a website he was creating and told Kaczynski that he admired him. Schell, the trial judge, had excluded the letters from being used as evidence at Chi’s trial.

“You’re a true inspiration to me and I vow not to let the sacrifices that you’ve made go to waste,” Chi said in one of the letters, dated July 26, 2011.

The University of Michigan has a public collection of many letters received by Kaczynski, a Michigan alumnus. In one letter, Chi tells Kaczynski that he wants to create a website for others who share their anti-technology beliefs.

“What the hell do you think I’ve been trying to do for the last fifteen years!!!!?” Kaczynski wrote back in a letter dated Oct. 5, 2011.

The two exchanged designs for a website, but their relationship eventually soured. Kaczynski called Chi irrational and told him to see a psychiatrist.

“Anyone who does anything as stupid as sending material of that kind to an inmate of a high-security prison has to be mentally ill,” Kaczynski said in a May 2012 letter. “I will have nothing further to do with you under any circumstances whatever.”

After initially saying he would plead guilty, Chi withdrew his plea and fired his lawyers. He has filed several handwritten motions from jail, where he has been awaiting trial. Jury selection began Monday.

Schell said in an order Friday that the letters’ value as evidence was outweighed by the risk that they would mislead the jury or cause other problems.

___

Information from: The Dallas Morning News, http://www.dallasnews.com

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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