Jack Gerritsen arraigned on jamming charges

Gerritsen is led away during a previous arrest

Alleged radio jammer Jack Gerritsen, the ex- KG6IRO, who has a history of broadcasting on police radio frequencies, pleaded not guilty at his May 31st arraignment to new charges of obstructing emergency services and military communications.

As previously reported, the 68 year old Bell, California, resident is charged with maliciously interfering with a government communications system, along with a misdemeanor count of transmitting radio signals without government sanction. Prosecutors allege Gerritsen often transmitted pre-recorded anti-war and anti-President Bush messages on radio frequencies he was not licensed to use. Also, that he engaged in real-time harassment on official frequencies for hours at a time. This would make it impossible for emergency and military personnel to use those channels to communicate. This includes an incident last April where he allegedly caused the cancellation of Army Reserve training exercise by transmitting on a military frequency.

According to an affidavit filed with the court, Gerritsen previously spent 38 months in state prison. This, after being convicted of interfering with a police radio frequency in a separate case. He was released July 28, 2003. Soon after the Federal Communications Commission began receiving
complaints about his alleged activity on the airwaves.

Gerritsen will be tried in July in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, if convicted of both charges, he faces up to 11 years in a federal prison.

Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF

(Published reports)

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